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Access from
Dubeau Grocery
From Pembroke :
Follow Highway 148 to the log information booth on your right near
the service station.
From Portage du Fort :
Follow Highway 301 towards Bryson. At Highway 148, turn left towards
Fort Coulonge, Waltham, over the bridge to Allumette Island, and on
to the log information booth on your left near the service station.
From Hull :
Take Highway 148 towards Fort-Coulonge, Waltham, cross the bridge to
Allumette Island and on to the log information tourist booth on
your left near the service station.
Dubeau Grocery – Chapeau
Road : 4.4 km
Chapeau Road – Desjardinsville : 4.5 km
Desjardinsville – Leblanc Island : 5.6 km
Leblanc Island – Island Point : 5.3 km
Island Point – Chapeau : 9.8 km
Tour of Chapeau : 2 km
Chapeau – Waltham bridge : 10.9 km
PPJ Cyclopark – Dubeau Grocery : 18 km
Total : 62.5 km
Brochures are now available in
both French and English. You may find them at the tourist
information booth on Allumette Island. You may also call
1-800-665-5217 for a mailing.
This circuit will give you a tour
of the Island and will bring you back to your departure point. The
circuit is 62.5 km long is made up of light-traffic paved roads and the
PPJ Cyclopark. It is best to do the escapade in the proposed
direction because you will have the best view ahead of you. You will
discover a magnificent view of the Outaouais River, the Laurentian
Mountains, the village of Chapeau with its majestic cathedral-style
church, and the newest addition to the PPJ Cyclopark.
Along the trail you will find Bed
& Breakfasts, restaurants, camping sites, convenience stores,
and other services.
You will find parking for your car
near the log tourist information booth.
Pk 0 You
should follow Highway 148 towards Fort-Coulonge for approximately
0.9 km.
Pk 0.9
You will arrive at a crossroad. You will take Pembroke road on your
left. You are on the road that leads to Chapeau through the centre
of the Island. This road contains a lot of traffic and you must
exercise caution. You must follow this road for 4.4 km to
Desjardinville Road, which will be on your left.
Pk 5.3
Once on the Desjardinville road, you will notice much less traffic. This
road will lead you to Chapeau and offers you a view of the city of
Pembroke on the shores of Ontario, the Outaouais River, and the
Laurentian Mountains. The first part of the trail crosses
agricultural lands, prairies, and forests. On your right, at Pk
7.5, you can see old farms built with square logs. Little by
little, the agricultural area runs into forested area and you will
arrive along the edge of the Outaouais River.
Pk 8.9 A
road on your right will take you to Desjardinville (700m). You will
find a quai of the Outaouais and Temiscamingue waterway. There are
500 places along the river where you can have access for your boat.
To overcome obstacles that are in the way of a journey on the river,
such as dams and rapids, an innovative system was set up using
trucks and trailers to load and to tow boats on local roads from one
boat access to another. The quai in Desjardinville allows boats to
be taken from Chapeau to Desjardinville by avoiding the Culbute
Rapids. The water you see before you is called Allumette Lake and
you may see several sail boats and other amateur water sports. You
may stop for a rest in the park furnished with toilets and picnic
tables.
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Leblanc Island
Pk 15.2 Leblanc
Island Road, a gravel road on your left, will take you across
a forested area that was ravaged during a severe storm a few
years back, as well a some marshlands. When you arrive at a
crossroads, turn right. This will lead you to a park with
picnic tables along the water. This Island houses a lighthouse
that was used in the time of the steamboat. |
Pk 20
You will arrive in cottage territory along the water’s edge. Where
the road stops heading North and turns directly in the Eastern
direction, you will be at the point of the Island. You will travel
along the Culbute Canal and see the distant Laurentian Mountains.
Pk 21.8 The
view unfolds with forests and prairies, the River, and the
Larentians. This magnificent panoramic view will help you to forget
about the challenge of the small hills that await you up ahead.
Pk 24.3
On your left, you will find « Place Poupore » which is a
restaurant and Bed & Breakfast. They also offer camping along
the side of the lake.
Pk 26.5
You are at the summit of a promontory where you can take in the view
of the river and the small islands. On the other bank, you will be
able to see the village of Chichester with the Laurentian Mountains
it the background. At Pk 27.7 and 28.8, the view is
equally breathtaking.
Pk 30.2
You will cross a small wooden bridge and before you is the village
of Chapeau.
Pk 31.3
After climbing a small hill, you will be in front of the St-Alphonsus
of Liguori church. Art lovers and historians will definitely
want to visit. Behind the church, to your right, you will find a
graveyard with a large parking lot. From here, you will have a
pretty view of the river. The school located nearby was constructed
of remarkable architecture. It is one of the Teacher's schools in
Quebec. You will find a bank, a CLSC, restaurants, a bakery, a
corner store, and many other services. You can walk to the edge of
the river and admire the countryside.
Pk 31.6
You will cross Chapeau on St. Jacques Street. You will continue
towards the quai of the waterway where you can take a break in a
park with toilets and picnic tables.
The paved road becomes a gravel
road which becomes a paved road once again. The road will be
repaired in 2001, however it is passable. You follow the river along
the edge of the forest.
Pk 39
You will have a beautiful view of the Outaouais River.
Pk 42.6
You will return to Highway 148 near the Waltham bridge.
From this location, you can head
towards Waltham and Fort-Coulonge on the PPJ Cyclopark. Or you may
return to Debeau Grocery, the departure point of the escapade by way
of the new section of the PPJ Cyclopark on Allumette Island
(approximately 18 km).
St-Alphonsus
of Liguori Church
Everyone, especially architecture
and art enthusiasts, will be delighted to see the St-Alphonsus of
Liguori Church. The building contains a pipe organ made by the
Casavant brothers of St. Hyacinthe, balconies and a pulpit imported
from France which are replicas of the ones in Our Lady of Paris, and
beautiful windows and sculptures. The church was built to become a
cathedral for a new diocese, however the diocese never came about.
The church may be visited each day from 8 a.m. to 7 :30 p.m.
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