History

Since the beginning of time, the stunning wilderness of the Mountain, that is actually named “Mont Sir-Wilfrid” in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919, Prime Minister of Canada), sparks admiration and fascination.
A certain Indigenous legend tells of a mountain haunted by the Windigo (Witikow), an Algonquin mythological monster, a devilish creature possessed by an evil spirit.

People feared the Windigo and frightened their children with the myth to get them to behave. This is where the name “Montagne du Diable” (litteraly translated as “Devil’s Mountain”) comes from, in reference to the evil spirit. Another legend relates that the Windigo is actually a good spirit who looks after and protects the mountain. The spirit would only threaten people intending to destroy nature.

On the Shores of Lakes and Rivers

The Montagne du Diable is the meeting place of the Lièvre River on the south-east side and the Gatineau River (Baskatong Reservoir) on the north-west side. It took the earth more than 4 billion years to create it. The mountain lives in perfect harmony with the elements, preserved by the rhythm of the seasons.

Safeguarding the Mountain

In an effort to protect the Mountain, a group of investors bought this public territory in 1994 with the intention of creating hiking trails. Thus began the adventure of recreational tourism in the Montagne du Diable’s forest.
In 2001, les Amis de la Montagne (Friends of the Mountain) took on the challenge to develop a tourist attraction respecting ecological principles. In collaboration with the village of Ferme-Neuve, les Amis de la Montagne developed outstanding trails and built cabins for hiking enthusiasts.
The Paroi de l’Aube and summit trail finally opened in 2001.
The idea to create and manage a regional park in order to protect the fragile ancient forest of the Upper Laurentians saw the light of day.

Birth of a Park

The Montagne du Diable Regional Park officially opened in September 2012. Christian Parent, the executive director, and his team worked hard to bring this project to light. The inauguration took place on November 23 2012 beside Lake Windigo, making the whole team very happy and proud. So, from now on, our children and generations to come have the guarantee that this amazing wilderness will be forever protected. We will preserve the most beautiful of it: its flora, its fauna, its diversity and its authenticity.

Village des Bâtisseurs

In December 2015 after several years of construction, the Village des Bâtisseurs, located at the foot of the Mountain, was completed. There, you will find 8 cabins and a welcome centre. The Léopold-Papineau Pavilion offers several amenities such as restrooms with showers, a large conference room with a fireplace, a community kitchen, a laundry room, and a waxing room for your equipment. You can also now enjoy numerous sporting activities (cross-country, skate, nordic and hok skiing; snowshoeing; hiking; mountain and fat biking; canoeing; kayaking; paddle boating; and paddleboarding) for days on end, exploring the Mountain with family and friends. In 2016, an educational circuit developed in collaboration with the Hydro-Québec Foundation, COBALI and Table Forêt Laurentides was created. In 2018, outdoor camping sites were developed near the Village des Bâtisseurs. In 2019 was built a circuit of hebertism.