Tour of the Outaouais Region

Located in the southwest of Quebec, along the Ottawa River, is a vast territory bordered to the northwest by Abitibi-Temiscamingue, to the east by the Laurentians and to the southwest by Ontario.

The quality of life in the Outaouais is just one of the advantages that make the Outaouais a wise choice of places to live. Its dynamic urban life blends harmoniously with its open expanses that have been conserved in their natural state or developed for farming and recreational activities. Indeed, the Outaouais Region boasts a few of the most beautiful parks of Quebec, with their network of hiking and skiing trails, as well as its ski resorts, outdoor wildlife reserves and excellent golf courses.

Renowned for its quality of life, the Outaouais is also a major high-tech hub which one of the fastest growing in North America.

Many immigrants contribute to its economic, social and cultural development. The region is home to several communities from a variety of countries, particularly France, Lebanon, Portugal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Haiti, the former Yugoslavia, China and other countries. New immigrants have access to reception services at the Service Immigration – Québec –Outaouais, as well as integration and insertion services offered by several organizations and associations.

Culture is an important characteristic of the region, and you will not be disappointed by the many museums scattered in the region. Art galleries abound in the region as well, while theatres and concert halls offer brilliant performances.

The Outaouais has two sides as markedly different as they are attractive. There’s the urban sophistication of Gatineau, located on the Ottawa River across from Ottawa city. The urban area is full of effervescence; the casino, the hippodrome and the night life are much in demand by visitors.

In contrast, there’s the thrill of the great outdoors, a mere stone’s throw from Gatineau: hills, valleys and forests that become a different adventure playground each season, with a panoply of activities from canoe-camping, cave tours, hunting, fishing, skiing, rafting, dog sledding, or snowmobile excursions.

There are hundreds of lakes and over million of acres of carefully protected wildlife habitat, virtually unchanged since the distant past here.

Find out more:

• Pythonga Tugboat
• Ottawa River
• Gatineau Valley 
• Eagle Forest
• Verendrye wildlife Reserve
• Papineau Manoir