Elevation 800 metres (2,600 ft) Campsites 108 | Type Rest Area Operated by Sépaq | |
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Location Jacques-Cartier lake, Quebec, Canada Facilities Toilets, Restaurant, Cornerstore Operator Société des établissements de plein air du Québec | ||
L'Étape (English: The Halt) is a rest area and a campground located on route 175 at km 135, on the shores on Jacques-Cartier lake, halfway between Québec City and Saguenay. In the hearth of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, where about 1,7 million pass through on a yearly basis.
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History
A first relay was built on this location in 1869. It was at that time only a wooden shack containing a bread oven. This type of relay was frequent in the region. Between the two world wars, L'Étape became the end of road 54 (now road 175) and a forest protection outpost was installed there. In 1951, the road is completed to Saguenay and the Quebec Government decides to build a hostel, a restaurant and a gas station to provide services to motorists and promote sport fishing the area. The hostel was later demolished in 1973 but the restaurant and gas station remain in operation to this day. In 1967, the Notre-Dame-de-L'Assomption chapel open its registers only to be abandoned shortly after in 1989.
L'Étape was completely burned down by a violent fire on 5 September 2003. Following the disaster, it was replaced by small dépanneur and rebuilt anew in 2006. On the night of 12 December 2007, the gas station was entirely destroyed by a fire. The main building housing the restaurant was not affected.
Today
Currently, l'Étape provides motorists with such services as a restaurant, a depanneur, a Petro-Canada gas station that offers towing and boarding for workers. During the summer and fall season, the Sépaq's Laurentides Wildlife Reserve La Loutre registration center and campground is opened to visitors.