Location Quebec, Canada Established 1939 Area 12,589 km² Phone +1 800-665-6527 | Nearest city Grand-Remous, Quebec Governing body Sépaq Province Québec | |
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Address C.P. 1330, Montcerf-Lytton, QC J0W 1N0, Canada Hours Open today · Open 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hours | ||
Canoe camping guide to la ve rendrye wildlife reserve
La Vérendrye wildlife reserve is one of the largest reserves in the province of Quebec, Canada, covering 12,589 square kilometres of contiguous land and lake area (Assinica wildlife reserve is the largest in the province, but its territory is broken up in four non-contiguous parts). It is named after Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, a French-Canadian explorer. Located 180 kilometres (110 mi) north of Ottawa (Canada’s capital), it is traversed from south to north by Route 117.
Contents
- Canoe camping guide to la ve rendrye wildlife reserve
- HistoryEdit
- ActivityEdit
- FloraEdit
- FaunaEdit
- FishEdit
- References
With more than 4000 lakes and rivers and two huge reservoirs (Cabonga and Dozois), the wilderness territory is a venue of choice for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition to hunting and fishing, it also offers the opportunity to practice wilderness camping or canoe camping on more than 800 kilometres (500 mi) of interconnecting canoe routes.
Two First Nation communities are found within the boundaries of the wildlife reserve: Kitcisakik on Great Victoria Lake and Lac-Rapide on Cabonga Reservoir.
HistoryEdit
The reserve was established in 1939 with the name Reserve Route-Mont-Laurier-Senneterre. It was that year that the road linking Mont-Laurier to Abitibi (now known as Route 117) was expected to be completed. Because this new road made an exceptionally rich wildlife territory accessible to thousands of hunters and fishermen, it became thus important to protect it.
In 1950, the government transformed the hunting and fishing reservation into a park and renamed it in honour of explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Lord of La Vérendrye, on the 200th anniversary of his death (1749). It gained the status of wildlife reserve in 1979.
ActivityEdit
La Vérendrye Reserve is a popular park for outdoor activities in all seasons. In the winter, snowmobiling can be done on trails through the park. In the spring there are whitewater rivers to canoe, in particular the Gens de Terre River. In the summer it is a great place for fishing, hiking, swimming, and canoe camping. In the autumn, hunting is permitted. Popular game animals include moose and white-tailed deer (black bear hunting in the spring). Permits and payment of fees are required for any of these activities.
Le Domaine is the community along Route 117 where most of the park services are concentrated. Here permits, fuel, and food can be obtained.
FloraEdit
La Vérendrye's landscape is typical of the Canadian Shield. The main tree species include black spruce, white spruce, jack pine, eastern white pine, red pine, and white birch.
FaunaEdit
There are over 40 species of mammals including moose, white-tailed deer, bear, wolf, fox, beaver, hare, and over 150 species of birds including spruce grouse and ruffed grouse.
FishEdit
Walleye, northern pike, lake trout (salmon trout), smallmouth bass, and lake sturgeon.
A few bodies of water, in the southern part of the reserve, contain brook trout (speckled trout).