CALEB NICKERSON
QUYON Sept. 15, 2019
About a dozen history enthusiasts took part in a cycling tour of the Chats Falls area on . . .
Saturday afternoon.
The group took off from the Domaine du Pontiac Village Winery outside Quyon and made their way to the scenic spots along the river, an area filled with rich history. The event was put on by the Friends of Chats Falls (FOCF), a local non-profit group.
Organizer Maude Lambert said that there would be four stops along the way, and four different board members of the FOCF gave talks on the history and ecology of the area, from the engineering of the old horse-powered railway, to the Aboriginal presence in the area.
She said that this is the second time they’ve hosted the bike tour, and it coincides nicely with their snowshoe tour during the winter. It’s also a bit simpler to prepare for than the voyageur canoe trips they’ve also hosted.
“It’s easy, you bring your pair of snowshoes or … your bicycle, there’s not too much logistics,” she said. “They bring their bike and we take them on a tour.”
Lambert said that the trip would take about two hours, depending on the pace of the participants. She added that in the future, they would like to prepare a bus trip to Maniwaki to visit the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Cultural Centre.
