Bowman, October 11, 2023- A reception pavilion will be erected at Parc régional de la forêt Bowman by spring 2025. The groundbreaking ceremony took place this morning in the company of representatives of the Municipality of Bowman, the MRC de Papineau and Park administrators.
The park covers an area of almost 700 hectares, including seven lakes, six hills, several lookouts with panoramic views, rock faces for climbing enthusiasts and a few small caves, all located in a forest environment dotted with old-growth forests.
In 2016, the MRC de Papineau declared to the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation its intention to create a regional park on public land located in Bowman. In 2020, a non-profit organization was created to manage the park.
At present, some five km of hiking trails have been laid out, as well as over forty climbing routes. There's also a relay station near the parking lot giving access to the climbing routes.
Eventually, the park will include a 12-kilometre network of hiking trails, some 60 climbing routes, and access to seven lakes.
Construction of the welcome pavilion was made possible by a financial contribution from the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (Fonds d'appui au rayonnement des régions (FARR) and Programme de la taxe sur l'essence et de la contribution du Québec (TECQ)) and Tourisme Outaouais. The project represents an investment of $1.6 million.
The pavilion will include a reception area, a multi-purpose room, washrooms and a canoe and kayak rental station. It will be located on the shores of Lac du Brochet. Parking will also be available nearby.
This groundbreaking is the culmination of several years' work," says Serge Corbeil, President of Parc régional de la forêt de Bowman. It's an important step in making the park accessible."
"This park will be a major additional asset for the Papineau MRC, helping us to achieve our goal of attracting 1.5 million tourists by 2030," enthuses Benoit Lauzon, Prefect of the Papineau MRC.
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Source and information:
Nathalie Bouladier, General Manager
Municipality of Bowman
Pictured (left to right):
Lino Alvès, Confluence architect
Alexander Hutton, Gestion DMJI, general contractor
Serge Corbeil, President, Parc régional de la forêt Bowman
Gaston Donovan, Mayor of Bowman
Nathalie Bouladier, general manager of Bowman,
Julie Kinnear, CEO, Tourisme Outaouais
Carol Fortier, vice-prefect and mayor of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours
Lynda Gauthier, Political Attaché to Mathieu Lacombe, MNA for Papineau and Minister of Culture and Communications