Bucolic
Beauty in November
photos by Cindy Thomas
The Saint Lawrence River has gifted us
a treasure where water and land intercept, forming a natural island basin for
accessible terrain and aquatic enjoyment. Welcome to Iles-de-Boucherville National
Park! A much beloved Sépaq park, it prominently nests
in the middle of this great river – which together with the Great Lakes – forms a hydrographic
system that penetrates 3,058 km into North America!
Running northeast from Lake Ontario
towards the Atlantic, where it forms the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the waterway is 10,000
years old; it formed when the glaciers began retreating, exposing a giant gash
in the Earth’s crust. This geological transformation brought about its own
upheaval, and today, one of its phenomena’s is this superb park of many
splendors. This is the place I chose to
explore on a November day.
Founded in 1984 and only a few kilometres – south
of downtown Montreal,
Îles-des-Boucherville is wild in feel. In fact, it is home to a great number of mammals, including an exorbitant number of colourful birds - partridges, hawks, herons on that list - along with an awesome variety of amphibians, reptiles and fauna. The season you go, tells its own animal story. So, I asked my talented photographer
friend, Cindy Thomas to accompany me. As I discovered, her eagle eye and camera
knowledge enabled her to capture the myriad of nuances and vistas that were
vividly revealed to us as we explored the variety of paths traveling some 25
kilometres amidst the park’s five islands.
November in this park proved
to be a surprise for us, for despite the loss of leaves and the absence of a
shining sun, the gentle blend of end-of-fall colours, the dramatic vegetation
contrasts – no longer hidden by summer’s overgrowth, revealed pathways of
subtle secretive nooks and groves.
Indeed, it was a tapestry of
subtle seduction unique to November – a poignant palette pleasingly positioned for
photographer, cyclist and walker alike.
At the reception centre, we
met Robert Renaud (AKA “Bob the fox” – just change the ‘u’ in his last name to
‘r’, and ‘fox” is what you get).
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| Robert Renaud |
He was incredibly friendly, and helpful. He
advised us to walk eastward on Île Sainte-Marguerite (it actually opened in 1982) to begin our 7-kilometre tour
of this island.
November’s muted hues and the
silence of nature had its calming effect. We came to a birch grove and a bench
that seemed to beckon us.
To our delight, we were greeted by a family of
black-capped chickadees.
We stayed for a while to enjoy their company.
Note that at this time of year, people are
scarce, though we came across some stray fishermen and the odd cyclist. My
senses were overcome with the simplicity of nature unencumbered by human
traffic.
November’s magic meant peace
and silence – a rarefied sensatory epiphany that I found inspiring.
However, we did meet up on
two occasions with jovial Pierre Bureau – a Sépaq man who travels on his bike
to assist and guide. He also makes the cross-country ski trails in nearby Mont
Saint Bruno.
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| Pierre Bureau |
Pierre suggested Cindy and I explore the western side of the
island. It was wonderful to simply stumble upon him, for we ended up traveling
parts of the walking path of La Grande Riviere, La Petite Rivière with its
grassy path, and a few side benders that border channels, wondering where
exactly we were. A ferry appeared, but no one was using it today.
Lost in this network of paths with map in hand, we realized
the sign could have been more specific, but part of the fun was simply the nearby surprise. On land or near the water, discoveries abound.
Best of all, the park is flat, so one can see it all with
eyes looking outward rather than watching one’s feet for tricky inclines. I
loved our day here – the Sépaq warmth, trees, flowing water, the casts of light
and shadow scenically brought to further life with occasional birdsong. I could gaze , sit and stroll here forever!
Projected for the end of 2017, is the erection of three
bridges to connect visitors year-round between the islands of Sainte-Marguerite
to Île à Pinard, and to Île la Commune to Île Grosbois (the latter two offering
7km.of trails).
Call: (450) 928-5088
The website is: www.sepac.com/pq/bou
