Wonderful
Wetlands with Bountiful Beauty
Reviewed by Nancy Snipper
No better name could describe this park. Its unique nature ushers in
a supremely serene experience. All kinds of pleasures unfold before you, for
this serene park is as precious as a timeless secret. Seekers
of splendour and surprise will feel inspired.
Cocooned in this bastion of Northern Bayous are lush forests of
exquisite daintiness; they unfold before you into a tapestry brimming in
glowing verdant vistas; no painter’s palette can match the appealing effect of
Plaisance’s “pretty in green” – not to mention the subtle flowering hues
of its plants.
Amidst the graceful leafy growth is a setting bathed in aquatic scenes: bays,
marshes, ponds, petites and expansive peninsulas, aptly called Presqu’iles greet
the eye.
Although the park is small – about 28 square kilometres – it's matrix of cycling trails totals 40
kilometres.
There are three major walking trails ranging from 1 km to 6 km.
The Zizanie-des-Marais walk on the suspension bridge is special.
The Zizania Palustras (wild rice) is a robust. aquatic annual grass that produces large grains eaten by people and wildlife.
Kayaking and canoeing can also stir
the visitor’s senses, as it did mine.
Only 148 kilometres north-west
of Montreal in Quebec’s
Outaouais region – Park de Plaisance benefits from the gentle breeze of the Ottawa River and its fertile ecosystem.
One of the most striking aspects of this park is that 250
different bird species live here. The birdsong is non-stop and the variety of
“music” created by the aviary choir is remarkable. I spotted a bright yellow
goldfinch, a pileated woodpecker, a rose-breasted grosbeak, some robust looking robins and lots of
red-winged black birds. The park plays home to all kinds of ducks and
bigger winged wonders: vultures, buzzards, eagles and Kingfisher herons.
The park’s many marshes include the shrub swamp, the silver marsh, and
the arborescent swamp that happens in spring. What a wonder to
behold!
More than half of Quebec’s indigenous mammal species live here. One can see moose, muskrats (I saw one swimming towards its underwater shore home while I was canoeing), smoky shrew and the southern flying squirrel and groundhogs, even coyotes, wolves and lots of beavers. Keep your eye out for amphibians.
On June 10th, the park is almost repossessed by thousands of
turtles: painted ones, snapping ones, and at least seven more different types.
You can spot them along the bicycle paths.
One of the most moving, hands-on and easy to understand exhibits is called the Floating Gardens displayed inside the lovely Discovery and Visitors Centre. Here I learned that several rare trees grow right in the park,
but they are threatened. They include: the hackberry with its cork crest bark,
the red pine, the white spruce and other green kindred gems such as
bittercross, striated coral root, Virginia
mountain-mint and some odd but beautiful flowering plants are all threatened. But the list in the wetlands here continues to
include prickly horwort and Englemann’s Cyperus. Not spectacular to look at, nonetheless,
these plants are vital to the continuum of the ecosystem.
As for the maintenance and recreational enjoyment of the park –
thankfully Plaisance came into the nurturing protective hands of Sepaq in 2002.
Visitors can discover that there is more than what meets your eye: the secret lies in its past through archaeology and historical ownership and use.
Visitors can discover that there is more than what meets your eye: the secret lies in its past through archaeology and historical ownership and use.
If you fall in love with Plaisance, check out the unique camping options
there, and across from the area, you have access to the long gorgeous beach for
swimming.
I shared the enjoyment of this park with the Montreal Adventures and Active Meetup group, some of whom took the photos appearing in this article.
A special thank you to professional photographer, Cindy Thomas. The majority of the photos were taken by her.
For more information, visit: parcsquebec.com/plaisance.
Call: 819 427-5334
or1800 6656527
The address is: 1001, Chemin des Presqu'îles, Plaisance (Québec) J0V 1S0
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