Two Pontiac adventure tourism operations received significant funding from the federal government last week which they hope will help them expand their operations to be able to host visitors year-round.
The Chutes Coulonge Park and the Wildwood Nature Escape, situated more or less across from each other on the Coulonge River, have received non-repayable grants totalling nearly $300,000 from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
MP Sophie Chatel traveled to Mansfield on Wednesday to announce the good news alongside representatives from both operations.
“It actually makes it possible to get the park where it could be, to be a more stable and sustainable park,” said Chutes Coulonge’s Park’s director general Brittany Morin, following the announcement.
The park, run as a non-profit, is designed to offer visitors an up-close experience of the Coulonge waterfall, an impressive 40 metres tall, through ziplining adventures, hiking trails, and overnight yurt stays.
“The grand goal for this is to increase the capacity of the park. So there’s big infrastructure requirements in order to just welcome new people on the site. And then by doing that, hopefully we’ll be able to expand our season and become a four-season destination.”
Morin said a good portion of the $200,000 the park received will be used to create a tent-camping area and build a new bathroom facility, the latter of which she hopes will make it more enticing for people to use the park through the winter.
This year, for the first in its history, the park is staying open from Friday to Monday through the off-season for both overnight stays in one of its two yurts and for daytime activities, such as the park’s own creation – timber-putt hockey.
“We’re trying to make this a little winter destination for people,” Morin said. “The goal is really just to make it a career opportunity for people in the region, instead of seasonal. Already, with this pilot project we’re launching this winter, we’ve been able to give two local people full-time jobs.”
Wildwood Nature Escape, a glamping business that offers overnight stays in cabins and white domes just up the river from Chutes Coulonge Park, will also use the $99,998 it received to build a bathroom facility and bring more overnight options to the property.
Joël Lévy, who bought the land with his business partners Geneviève Cooke and William Radcliffe in 2023, said he appreciated the vote of confidence from the federal government.
“They came to visit the property at the early stages and they were very impressed with what we had already done and it kind of showed them a commitment to our vision and what we want to do,” he said.
“We want to create an outdoor adventure place that can be somewhere to stay where you’re visiting the area and other attractions, and also be a place that has attractions.”
Mansfield and Pontefract mayor Sandra Amrstrong said she was happy to hear the news of this investment in her municipality.
“This investment is a testament to the incredible potential of our community here in Mansfield, but also through the Pontiac. What is good in one municipality, and I’m a strong believer in this, is good for the whole Pontiac.”
