Outaouais - Québec

Outaouais region

The Outaouais region is located in the south-western part of the province of Quebec. Its capital city is Gatineau, bordered by the city of Ottawa. The region includes the towns of Montebello, Pontiac, Maniwaki and others.

The Outaouais land area is of 30,760 square kilometres or 11,876 square miles. It’s population is of 345 000 inhabitants. The region is known as one of the most bilingual regions in Quebec.

The name of the region comes from the Ottawa (Outaouais) river. It was first inhabited by the Outaouaks First Nation. Samuel de Champlain, the founder of Quebec City, discovered this land to the Europeans, in 1613. Later, many British Loyalists who emigrated from the Unites States after the revolution, decided to settle in the region.

The Outaouais, with its 20,000 lakes and many rivers, is divided in four territories, namely La Lièvre and the Petite-Nation, the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (Gatineau Valley), the Pontiac, and the Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Outaouais Hills).

As to attractions of the Ouataouais, tourists can visit the Canadian Museum of Civilisations, located in Gatineau, which highlights the ethnological heritage of peoples from all the countries of our planet. The justly popular Canadian Children’s Museum is another great place at Gatineau. Many families get their fill of fun at the Mont Cascades waterpark, located in Cantley, near Gatineau or at Montebello’s Parc Oméga, where people get a close-up view of the bison, boar, moose, wapiti, wolves and other animals that roam the park. At Montebello, many visitors stop by Manoir (Manor) Papineau, a national historic site.

On the doorstep of Gatineau, the vast Gatineau Park is located and further down the Ottawa river, the National Park of Plaisance is home for thousands of geese. Two large wildlife reserves – The Papineau-Labelle reverve and La Verendrye resseve attract many nature lovers who long for a catch of a glimpse of beavers, white-tailed deer or moose.

Guests can get into the vacation spirit and treat themselves to the Casino du Lac-Leamy, with its luxurious hotel, top-notch entertainment and reputation for fine cuisine.

Let’s remind you that the Outaouais region offers up interesting itineraries for the pedal-pushing crowd, particularly in the Gatineau area, alongside the Ottawa river in Pontiac County, as well as along the Gatineau river.

Briefly, the Outaouais, known as a land of lakes, rivers and forests, offers endless recreational opportunities.

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