Village Squire, 1976-01, Page 24r
bust and trails, equipment and instruction are
provided for family members who prefer
skiing on the level. The Quebec government
enthusiastically promotes the sport by
grooming- trails, maintaining heated relay
huts and providing waxing and snack -bar
facilities. Over 100 miles of trails exist at
Sainte -Anne Park. Mont -Orford Park and
Bromont in the Ski 'East Region have
extensive cross-country trail networks totally
separate from the lift -services downhill runs.
For more information, contact Ski East
Association, 306-A Youville Square,
Montreal, Quebec. Tel: 514/843-7773. In the
Quebec City area, contact Hospitalite
Quebec, P.O. Box 9, Haute Ville, Quebec.
Tel: 418/694-0457. Or contact the Canadian
Government Office of Tourism, 150 Kent
Street, Ottawa, Canada K1A OH6.
There have been many nice things said and
written about .the Quebec Laurentians in
winters past but it seemed neither verbal
coinment nor penned words _.ever really
conveyed a satisfactory impression of the
whole scene.
How do you adequately describe 32 major
ski centres within a 35 -mile radius, 174 lifts
inc lading 2 i chair lifts and all the associated
lodges and establishments that have made
the cuisine and apres-life of Quebec's
Laurentians justly famous. This we believe,
has now been done.
It is a 16 -page fell colour booklet suitably
entitled The Laurentians - Mountains of Fun
and the careful selection of photos and brief
text will re•vrve vivid memories of ski weeks
and vacations enjoyed.
Such long established Laurentian lodges as'
.Parkers', Cray Rocks, Village Bellevue,
Ptnoteau, Chalet. des Chutes, Sun Valley,
L'I sterol, Alpine, Inn, La Sapiniere, Le
Chantecler, Mont Habitant, Cuttles and Mont
Tremblant Lodge are depicted in.both winter
and summer with a brief. blurb outlining
facilities and services.
Tinye•s change and it may be indicative of
today's trends that a few old name's have
quietly disappeared but no. new ones have
been added. The Laurentians are reputed to
be .,the oldest mountains in the world, 'but
even these venerable hills which have been
enjoyed and are still being enjoyed by so
many will, in some future age, be only a
• geological memory and will have passed into
time.
' Incidents, however trivial in retrospect, are
the seeds of memories. Skiers, even former
skiers, invariably smile a little when they
recall the incidents that form their own image
of Quebec's mountains of fun.
i Gray Rocks' Sugar Peak is kind of easy
anyway and the consistently good snow
conditions let you ski well, feel good, so you
dance a lot. However, I do remember skiing
flat out in a heavy snowstorm and not seeing
the drop-off on a trail called Niagara Falls one
•
day (I thought someone had stole the world);
also a German group who used to blast out
numbers called Caroline and Rollin' on the
River a lot. Mont Tremblant Lodge embodied
a lot of tradition for fine food and good service
and one of the great ski mountains in eastern
North America...skiing home at day's end on
Ryan's Run. Manoir Pinoteau is recalled for
late hours, pleasant company, a thumping
gut -bucket and a bartender whose name I
can't remember singing In the Shadow of
Your Smile.
Cuttles is still noted for superb food in a
beautiful setting, a convivial bar balanced out
nicely with an endearing but grouchy piano
player.
Village Bellevue only two miles from
Mount Tremblant's well known trails, shares
Lac Ouimet with Gray Rocks cross the bay
while offering a cross-country option in the
wooded hills nearby. Bellevue's pleasant
lodge atmosphere and apres-ski life are
important factors in their popular ski week
program...a weary newcomer, after being
snowbound for five hours on the Laurentian
Autoroute in a blizzard, a few years ago,
staggered in and clutched dramatically at the
Bellevue bartender's arm and croacked,
"cognac! cognac!"
Le Chantetler is a resort village within the
mountain hamlet of Sainte-Adele...easy ego
skiing on four lift -connected mountains with a
fun loving Japanese guest writer whose
favorite song was Cigarettes, Whiskey and
Wire Wire Women; Uncle Frank's poetry and
my first meeting and interview with the
indomitable and incomparable Chief Jack
Rabbit Johannsen. '
John Parker's Lodge at. Val David is a cosy,
family-oriented little woodsy retreat where
the emphasis is on peace and quiet. Guests
have a choice of a dozen downhill areas or
•cross-country trail network from the lodge
door. A more gracious host than John Parker
would be hard to find and I fully intend to ski
there this very winter.
Far Hills Inn at Val Morin prompts
memories of cross-country skiing on the:,
Maple Leaf Trail followed by a great session
of ghost story telling after a fine dinner of
seafood and a Cheateau Sainte -Rosanne
wine.
Skiing behind cross-country ski pro Erle
Bergh at Alpine Inn near Sainte Marguerite
on a perfect winter day and watching little
snow diamonds flying from the tails of his skis
and sparkle in the sun.
The true gourmet is at home at La
Sapiniere, near Val David, where skiing is
regarded as suitable exercise to develop the
appropriate appetite to fully appreciate the
excellent fare. The more ordinary enjoyer of
life may feel somewhat overwhelmed with a
choice of 200 different wines from the cellar of
this temple of ambrosia...a problem one
'might say, but a pleasant one...by Bacchus.
THE
BOOKSHELF
•used paperbacks
•used comic
books
•used hardcovers
we buy/sell/
trade
THE
BOOK SHELF
50 Wellington St.
Stratford
273-3501
OPEN 10 A.M. TO
7 P.M.
�a r1Jca rz c2
uc)oks
and Tearoom
•near the river
•near the bridge
•near Third Stage
We are advertised by our
loving friends
Henry V1, Part 3
30 Waterloo S., Stratford
Phone 293-1010
1Or1JCarze
Books
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JANUARY 1976, 23