Capital of the Granite region
Part of Haut Saint-François
Chapter 4
The trails start at the Rose-Délima refuge and are bordered by a very refreshing stream and small waterfalls that are gentle on our feet. The climb to the summit takes 4.5 km and at the last it becomes much steeper. This effort is rewarded by the view of the surrounding mountains and the breeze.
The lucky ones will be able to see moose and the others, the numerous trails when you come across more muddy sections of trails.
At the top, it is possible to continue towards Cap-Frontière or Trou-du-diable and thus make a loop. Obtaining a map is strongly recommended, some junctions are confusing.
For those who would like to extend their stay, there are lean-tos and camping platforms along the trails as well as very close to the refuge at the trailhead.
Directions:
To get to Mount Gosford from Sherbrooke:
Head towards Lennoxville via 143 South (rue Wellington Sud)
In downtown Lennoxville, at the light, turn left onto 108 East (direction Cookshire).
In Cookshire, turn right onto 212 East (before the railroad tracks)
Still on the 212 East, about 15km after the village of Notre-Dame-des-Bois, turn right onto Rang Tout-de-joie. The intersection is not really obvious. There is a small sign pointing to Mount Gosford, but it is not always visible. Please remember that you should not reach the village of Woburn (~5km further).
On Rang Tout-de-joie, about 6 km from the intersection, the ZEC Louise reception is located on your left (in any case, there is a barrier 1km further).
Chaudière River
The river is a privileged site for outdoor activities, particularly near Lac Mégantic and the Chutes-de-la-Chaudière park.
Located near the mouth of the river, in Lévis, this park offers hiking and cycling trails as well as a footbridge suspended above the river, which offers a view of the waterfall, 35 meters high .
The fall, harnessed since the beginning of the 20th century for its hydroelectric potential, now has a dam rebuilt in 1999 on the remains of the old installations, which supplies a small 24 MW hydroelectric power station.
Chaudière Falls on the Chaudière River in Lévis
The Chaudière valley crosses a large part of the Quebec region of Beauce.
It has shaped its industries and way of life, particularly in spring when its overflows during snowmelt in inhabited areas are frequent, despite its course regulated by 160 dams and retaining dikes.
The river passes through several towns and villages in the region, including Sainte-Marie (Quebec), Saint-Georges (Quebec), Beauceville and Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce.
Chaudière Falls on the Chaudière River in Lévis
Joé Marry and Marie-Louise
Around 1858, a Native American family lived in a camp near the Chaudière River, probably of Abenaki origin. Joé Marry was an excellent hunter, trapper and fisherman. For travelers who wanted to cross the river, Joé Marry helped these people cross.
Marie-Louise, his wife, was very involved in caring for the sick, as well as sisters Malthide and Clotilde. In their cabin, there were no chairs, we sat on the floor to eat as well as to work. These four Indians came from the St-Georges de Beauce region.
Circa 1879. Clouthide was going hunting in Holeb Maine, along the American lines, she was shot and killed.
Three years later Mathilde was crossing the woods heading towards Lambton to stock up on food that the Indians called "provisions" by exchanging the product of their hunt. The cold was intense and a strong storm arose and passed away.
The Chaudière valley crosses a large part of the Quebec region of Beauce.
It has shaped its industries and way of life, particularly in spring when its overflows during snowmelt in inhabited areas are frequent, despite its course regulated by 160 dams and retaining dikes.
The river passes through several towns and villages in the region, including Sainte-Marie (Quebec), Saint-Georges (Quebec), Beauceville and Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce.
The river is a privileged site for outdoor activities, particularly near Lac Mégantic and the Chutes-de-la-Chaudière park.
Located near the mouth of the river, in Lévis, this park offers hiking and cycling trails as well as a footbridge suspended above the river, which offers a view of the waterfall, 35 meters high .
The fall, harnessed since the beginning of the 20th century for its hydroelectric potential, now has a dam rebuilt in 1999 on the remains of the old installations, which supplies a small 24 MW hydroelectric power station.
Megantic lake
REGIONAL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY
“MRC” DU GRANIT and Haut-St-François
The Regional Municipality of Comté du Granit (geographic code 300) also known as the Mégantic region is located in the heart of the Appalachian plateau, in the administrative region of Estrie, very close to the border with the United States.
The relief of the Mégantic region is made up of several hills, valleys, mountains and plains, dotted with lakes and rivers.
The MRC du Granit is made up of twenty municipalities which cover an area of more than 27,300 square kilometers. The MRC has a population of approximately 21,500 inhabitants.
The largest city is the town of Lac-Mégantic which constitutes the regional capital. However, the urban environment only represents 2% of the territory of the MRC du Granit, while the region has the largest forest cover in Estrie.
Forests cover 90% of its territory and 30% of the Estrie forests are located in Mégantic.
The Regional County Municipality of Haut-Saint-François (geographic code 410), located in Estrie, is made up of 14 municipalities, characterized by a large number of lakes, rivers, valleys and mountains.
Its population of 22,000 inhabitants, or 7% of the Estrie population, therefore lives in an environment of exceptional beauty, a destination par excellence for people wishing to discover the most beautiful lands in Quebec.
Newcomers to Haut-Saint-François will also notice that these are lands where life is good.
Haut-Saint-François is located in the southeast of Quebec, 150 kilometers from Montreal, extending over an area of approximately 2,300 square kilometers, making it the second largest MRC in Estrie.
The well-developed road network, in particular Highway 10 which crosses Haut-Saint-François, ensures direct communications with all regions of Quebec, while Route 257 provides access to American markets.
In terms of relief, the territory is not very hilly. However, two mountain ranges are present there, namely three ranges of Estrie, Beauce and Bellechasse as well as the border mountains.
The relief is also distinguished by the valleys formed by the Saint-François, Eaton rivers and the Saumon river, Scotstown, with neighboring hills.
The most important peaks are the Stoke Mountains to the west of the Haut-Saint-François MRC, the border mountains to the south and Mont Mégantic to the east at an altitude of 1,100 meters.
The watershed is made up of the Saint-François River and two sub-basins, the Eaton and Saumon rivers already mentioned. In the north and northeast sectors, there are important lakes: Aylmer, d’Argent, Louise, Magill, Miroir, Moffat.
Economic activities are concentrated in the west of the territory. In terms of tourism, the most important attraction and source of income in the region is the Parc du Mont-Mégantic.
As everywhere in Estrie, agriculture remains a major activity of the HSF and there are nearly 600 farms there.
The forest, for its part, covers almost 80% of the territory. The wood industry generates many jobs. The transformation of wood products occupies more than 50% of the workforce employed in the manufacturing sector and constitutes one of the most developed economic sectors in Haut-Saint-François.
In general, the majority of manufacturing jobs are linked to the paper, wood and furniture sectors.
The forest, in addition to being a source of supply for pulp and paper factories and sawmills, is home to very rich flora and fauna and is also a good base for the tourist industry.
On an industrial level, we can point out the proximity of the United States and the presence of Sherbrooke Airport, which allows us to affirm that there is good export potential.
Today, the unemployment rate in the MRC du Granit fluctuates between 4% and 8% and the concentration of the workforce in manufacturing industries is the highest in the Eastern Townships. In the manufacturing sector, there are more than 150 companies.
The MRC du Granit offers excellent opportunities for hiking in summer, cross-country skiing and ice fishing in winter, sugaring time in spring...
To produce one liter of maple syrup, we need between thirty and forty liters of sap, depending on the sugar content of the maple. Although Native Americans used simple methods, cooking techniques have evolved over the past few centuries.
The evaporation of water from the sap is today the most commonly adopted process. The sap is heated to boiling point. At the time of harvesting the sap, it contains up to 97.5% of the water. Maple syrup is ready when it contains no more than 34% water.
This density is obtained after several hours of cooking. The temperature must be maintained at 104°C at all times, so producers often stay up at night.
Each product has its degree of cooking. For example, maple butter is obtained at 112°C, while maple taffy on snow, tasted by visitors to the sugar shacks in April, is cooked at 113.8°C. Granulated maple sugar is prepared at 123.3°C.
Although the sap already contains certain aromas that change throughout the year, the true flavor of maple syrup develops during evaporation. Experts distinguish nine types of syrup, each corresponding to a specific harvest period.
For the sale of maple products, in Quebec, the regulations provide for two categories of syrups: No. 1 (high category) No. 2, and five color classes, namely extra - clear, clear, medium, amber and dark.
The MRC du Granit is also the first in importance in Quebec in terms of the number of taps and the second in terms of the number of maple syrup producers.
Today, the unemployment rate in the MRC du Granit fluctuates between 4% and 8% and the concentration of the workforce in manufacturing industries is the highest in the Eastern Townships. In the manufacturing sector, there are more than 150 companies.
The MRC du Granit offers excellent opportunities for hiking in summer, cross-country skiing and ice fishing in winter, sugaring time in spring...
Maple syrup
It takes 40 liters of maple sap to make a single liter of syrup. What a thirst! But, it's easy to make syrup or other maple products: just drill a hole in the trunk of a tree, collect the sap in a large bucket, escape the forest rangers , light your stove and put the bucket on the fire, arming yourself with patience.
Here is the recipe:
To obtain maple syrup: boil maple sap at 4°C higher than water, that is to say, at 104°C;
For maple butter: boil the sap at 111-112° C;
For maple taffy: 115° C;
For hard sugar: 118° C;
Finally, for granulated sugar: 125° C.
If this adventure doesn't appeal to you, there is another much simpler option: a visit to the sugar shack!
It was Native Americans who discovered maple syrup, long before the arrival of Europeans. They drill holes in the trunk of maple trees and attach a wood chip to the bottom of the cut which channels the sap into a container also made of bark. Then, they boil the sap in clay containers to obtain maple syrup, the sap containing 1% to 2% sugar.
From the first days of New France, the Amerindians taught the colonists to cut the trunk of the tree at the beginning of spring, to collect the sap and to boil it.
Very quickly, the custom spread and in the 17th and 17th centuries syrup constituted the least expensive and most important source of sugar on the market. Very quickly too, the maple sap harvest period becomes a time of rejoicing which signifies the end of the long Canadian winter.
In the 19th century, the process became industrialized. The torch is then made of cedar wood, cut into a bevel and is called a dropper or goudrelle.
Typically, maple producers travel through the maple groves on snowshoes, although horses are used to transport the collected sap into cauldrons.
It seems that it was at this time that the term “sugar shack” appeared or at least spread universally. At that time, maple sugar was called the sugar of the country.
At the same time, another tradition is spreading: that of sugar molds. Molds are made by hand, carved from maple, cherry or walnut hardwood.
Generally, they are made of a single section, but some are made up of several sections.
Over the years, picking techniques are refined and new picking methods develop: iron cauldrons are replaced by evaporators with integrated thermometers, mechanisms for controlling the level and entry of water maple, as well as other innovations.
In the 1980s, the reverse osmosis technique constituted a technical revolution. Now, technology makes it possible to concentrate soluble elements in maple sap, which is a more effective substitute than evaporation.
But, all revolutions, whether quiet, noisy, tumultuous, scientific or reasonably accommodated, cannot change the main thing: the festivities at the Sugar Shack are forever... at least, as long as spring survives the warming overall.
First Europeans
Designated by the name of one of its main natural and industrial riches, granite, the MRC is located in Estrie at the gateway to Beauce and Maine, bordered by the border mountains, the Appalachians.
The distance from the main urban centers as well as the feeling of being neither completely Beauceron nor entirely Estrien, favor the development of particular values based on autonomy, innovation and perseverance.
Thus, the population assumes a cultural identity of its own and which is reflected in the dynamism and vitality of all its sectors of social and economic intervention.
The first Europeans succeeded the Native Americans in the 17th century.
The waterways of the Chaudière and Kennebec rivers facilitated travel.
The territory witnessed several movements.
The French and the Jesuits, on good terms with the Abenakis, had to cede the territory to the English, following the war between France and England in 1713.
The result was the loss of Acadia and all French claims south of the Appalachians.
