Winter is king in the Mauricie, but it is also benevolent, offering superb ways to appreciate the white season to its full value. Here are two suggestions around Shawinigan.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
The enchanting domain
A must in the Mauricie, in Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, halfway between Trois-Rivières and Shawinigan, the place has become over the years a resort in its own right with a range of activities. seasonal. However, its reputation is still due to its fabulous frozen labyrinth of almost 15 km, impeccably maintained by a resurfacer equipped with a snow blower, the invention of the owner, Jean-Pierre Binette. It is Sylvie Leménager, manager, customers and communication and development, who tells us the story of the enchanting estate, still sometimes known as the Domaine de la Forêt perdu. “Mr. Binette first wanted to start with a pine plantation, which is why there is a forest here in the middle of agricultural fields,” explains the young woman. And then one morning, he saw a beekeeper working with his hives in a nearby field, he immediately got the sting. »
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Part of the Enchanting Estate is open in the evening from Thursday to Sunday thanks to multiple lights of several colors, illuminating the trails, but also certain sections of the forest. In addition to the frozen labyrinth, it is also possible to go snowshoeing, a loop of some 4.5 km winding through the forest, but also in the neighboring fields.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The labyrinth of frozen paths was partly built in a pine forest planted more than 25 years ago by the owner, Jean-Pierre Binette.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Several animal enclosures are set up along the icy trails of the Enchanting Estate, including that of the deer.
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That’s why there’s still a shop full of honey products in the same reception building where we put on our skates — we can also rent them, as well as helmets and sleds that we can push through the maze of ice. However, it was following an accident that the trails were laid out by the beekeeper more than 25 years ago. “Initially, the owners’ children went skating on the small lakes behind the family home,” Sylvie Leménager tells us. One day, one of the children almost drowned, after which the owners swore that no one would go skating on the lakes again. »
Mr. Binette worked to put water on the trails by tampering with a Zamboni. The children’s friends then came to skate, word of mouth had its effect, and that’s how it went.
Sylvie Leménager, Manager, Customers and Communication and Development, Domaine enchanteur
The network of trails has grown over the years, successively increasing from 8 to 12 and finally to 15 km of trails, through which animal enclosures have been laid out – you can see emus, llamas, alpacas, goats and deer, among others. It can therefore take 10 to 20 minutes to get to the bottom. It is here that it is worth specifying that it is possible not only to warm up in the main building as well as in the restaurant which can once again welcome customers inside, but also in small rustic cabins furnished along the trails. “There are four, heated with propane or wood, which can accommodate 8 to 10 people, as well as a larger one intended for groups of 20, says Sylvie Leménager. People can book the huts to rest there, they can also bring their food for lunch. »
2800 du Parc
About 30 minutes further north is La Mauricie National Park, a regional gem that needs no introduction. However, the accommodation offer is limited, especially in winter. However, this reality is changing, especially since the opening, in Saint-Jean-des-Piles, of 2800 du Parc, a stone’s throw from the eastern entrance to the park. Orchestrated around the complete renovation of a large farmhouse in 2018 and the following year of the adjoining barn, the recreational tourism complex will be able to welcome more than 100 visitors next spring after the construction of the last eight mini-chalets on this exceptional site with stunning views of the Saint-Maurice River. “It was while training on a bike that we saw that there was a sign for sale in front of the house”, tells us the co-owner Stéphane Diamond, freshly arrived on a snowmobile – the federated trail passes below, on the icy surface of the river. “Two weeks later, we came back and decided to make an offer. »
We acquired it, then we started renovating, so it all started with the road bike in mind.
Stéphane Diamond, co-owner of 2800 du Parc
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The bistro at 2800 du Parc opened its doors in the summer of 2019. It was built using materials from the ancestral barn that was on the land when the property was purchased. Several original artifacts were also used to decorate the cozy bistro.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
It was the century-old house that belonged to the Doucet family that was first developed. Completely renovated and fully equipped, it can accommodate up to 14 people, and offers an exceptional view of the Saint-Maurice River.
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PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The accommodation offer at 2800 du Parc currently includes four adventure cabins, units of the glamping which can accommodate up to six people with individual bathroom and full kitchenette. Eight other mini-chalets of the same type will be built in time for the summer period.
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The 2800 du Parc has indeed become a place of choice for cycling enthusiasts who come to enjoy the perfect bitumen of the Mauricie Park, but it now wants to be a base of activities for all outdoor enthusiasts, regardless of the season. In winter, as it is a few minutes from the park’s trails, it is possible to rent cross-country skis, snowshoes or crampons, while in summer, you can rent bicycles canoes, kayaks and pedal boats are also available to guests staying in the cabins. In addition to the large ancestral house, which can be reserved by groups of up to 14 people, four comfortable units that can accommodate 2 to 4 people are available for rental, as are four adventure chalets that can accommodate 6 people — l offer offered here is that of the glamping, customers must bring their own bedding. The eight chalets to come, intended for families of four, will follow the same formula.
We should not overlook the bistro, built in 2019 using materials salvaged from the old barn that was in the same place. The atmosphere is warm with the large fireplace and the decorations imagined from artefacts found in the old farm building. On the menu, inventive bistro cuisine with a Mexican touch, thanks to the Latin origins of chef Amin Gonzatti Lima.