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The snowshoe : Its
history - Place to practice |
Winter sports |
The snowshoe is the oldest means
of locomotion in the winter, along with cross-country skiing. It may have begun in
central Asia, 4000 years ago. Thanks to it, North American people were able to move about
in the winter and numerous people settled in the North. The snowshoe is an important part
of cultural North American heritage.
Natives were great inventors of
snowshoes, each
type different with its own qualities. It is not rare that trappers use for three sorts of
snowshoes, each with its own advantages ! They were valuable for movement in the
forest. The Athapascans Natives of the American and Canadian West Coast and the
Algonquians Natives of the Ottawa region and the Saint-Laurent Valley brought snowshoes to
the highest perfection point. The first snowshoes had the shape of a bear
paw. Then,
hundred of different models were created. Before horses came with the
Spanish, the Natives
hunted even bison on snowshoes ! Snowshoes became an exchange or sale
element. Still today, Natives are the best snowshoes builders !
The first Europeans, the French in particular, who had strong links with the Natives,
adopted snowshoes for their movements in winter and the bark canoe in
summer. The French
troops had numerous military successes against the English thanks to the snowshoes which
allowed them to move all the time. Like rabbits that adopted the snowshoes to avoid
hunters ! Indeed, their back paws are in shape of... a snowshoe. |
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Nowadays, the snowshoe has evolved. You can still find Native
snowshoes, built like in the old days but you will also find many models in
aluminum and
in plastic material, in composite material. |
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The huge snow-covered expanses of the Pontiac were once
covered by the Natives and the trappers with their snowshoes. Nowadays, even with the
snowmobile, the ATV and other modern machines, trappers and many nature lovers continue to
practice snowshoeing in the Pontiac region. |
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Large snow-covered tracts of the Pontiac region allow you to
traverse fields and find roads in the vast forest. Never go alone and let someone know
your final destination, your itinerary and the expected hour of your return, so that in
case of an accident, a rescue can be organized. |
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Les Guides de la Vallée
Dumoine at Rapides-des-Joachims.
Organises guided tours with lunch and lodging.
Information at (613) 586-2300 |
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Brennan's
Recreational Farm
Turn right at Sheenboro on Sullivan Road, then you will arrive at Mountain
Road
(819) 689 2642Open. About twenty kilometers groomed trails.
Accommodation available in cottages as well as winter camping with all the comfort
(electricity, bathroom, showers).
Price : 5 $ per day per person.
Other proposed winter activities : sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, ice fishing.
For further information, visit the website Brennan's
Recreational Farm |
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You can practice snowshoeing at the downhill skiing resort, Mount Chilly Ski Lodge
at Mansfield, but the trails are not maintained. We don't suggest to go there without a
person who knows exactly the place. |
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Feel free to call the tourist information service
toll free at 1-800-665-5217 / email:
infotourisme
or visit the
touristic information website
of the Pontiac where you will find
the lodgings and the activities that are offered in the
region.
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