Village Squire, 1975-01, Page 23Travel
SKATERS OR SKIERS, Quebec City welcomes all with the giant
Mont -Ste -Anne and the valley resort complex of Lac-Beauport
only a short drive from town. [Canadian Government Office of
Tourism Photo.]
EXOTIC CUISINE of the internationally famous La Saphiniere at
Val -David in the Quebec Laurentians reminds. the winter guest
that there are pleasures other than fine trails and fast snow.
[Canadian Government Office of Tourism Photo.]
Quebec City and Laurentians
provide plenty of winter fun
BY LARRY GRAINGER
AND ROGER FORTIER
For over a million years no one skied the
Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. It was not
until the 1920s that a happy series of events
enabled skiers and mountains to embark upon
what has become one of the most enduring
relationships of this troubled century.
Witness the grandparents who today are
introducing their grandchildren to the
hallowed trails -- among the first in North
American -- carved out 40 years ago by some
of the legendary men of Canadian skiing, like
Jack Rabbit Johannsen. So if like everyone
else in the world, you have missed out on the
first million years, you really should make up
for all that lost time.
Laurentian ski country begins only 40 miles
north of Montreal with the town of
Saint-Sauver and extends another 40 miles to
Saint-Donat. In between is one of the largest
concentrations of ski hills and resorts in the
world. There are 32 ski areas, with vertical
drops ranging from 400 to 2,500 feet. Resorts
come small and cozy like The Parker's Lodge
22, VILLAGE SQUIRE/JANUARY 1975
at Val -David, or large and luxurious like Le
Chantecler and Sun Valley at Sainte -Adele,
Cray Rocks Inn at Saint-Jovite, and
Mont-Tremblant. Whatever their size, they
specialize in the bon -vivant holiday; there's
something for everyone.
Now anyone who says skiing is as simple as
falling down is lying. Moreover, he's
probably lying down. Learning how to stand
up requires the help of a certified instructor.
A certified instructor is a member of the
Canandian Ski Instructors' Alliance, one of
3,000 men and women across Canada who
have been taught how to teach. There are
CSIA people on every ski school in the
Laurentians. That's why last year's beginners
return as this year's intermediates.
During his vacation a skier looks forward
each day to two events: when he starts skiing
in the morning and when he stops skiing in
the afternoon. The end of the ski day marks
the beginning of apres-ski which, politely
phrased, consists of drinking, dining, and
dancing. Many a fortunate skier becomes so
absorbed by the Laurentians' apres-ski scene
that he misses the next morning's lesson.
Bartenders in the Laurentians stage an
official contest to determine who can concoct
the most powerful bone -thawing brew. The
names of these mighty portions differ but
their effects are blessedly identical. More
sophisticated drinking habits and gourmet
tastes are catered to by establishments such
as La Sapinere at Val -David, which features
Quebec's oldest wine cellar.
Excellent cuisine -- French with a Canadian
accent -- has always been the hallmark of the
Laurentians. Each season resort owners lure
chefs from the fine restaurants of Montreal
and Paris to the north country where they
prepare specialties from bouillabaisse to
steak au poivre, fondues to suckling pig.
Following a relaxing after dinner drink one
has the choice'of dancing to an energetic rock
band or waltzing to violins. And of course
there are sleigh rides, indoor pools, skating
and curling rinks and theatres. The finest
testimonial to Laurentian apres-ski comes
from a young lady from Boston who broke her
leg on her first day and proceeded to have
what she called "the best vacation of my
life."
The ski season begins in November on
articial snow and lasts until April thanks to