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THE REGION
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Discover and enjoy all the charms of nature only 20 minutes away from downtown
Quebec City. Being a authentic sanctuary of peace at the foot of the Hautes-Laurentides, Stoneham is really an outdoor life resort spreading as far as the eyes
can see. Not only is Stoneham one of the major centers of the tourist and
recreational activities in the Greater Quebec area, it has developed, over the years, a
unique identity, and represents an unparalleled attraction for visitors of Quebec
City.
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Resting at the doorstep of the Parc de la Jacques-Cartier, and representing a
genuine haven for ski lovers and other sliding sports fans, the Stoneham tourist
Station offers many other attractions for every season (snowmobile, mountain
biking, snow surfing, hunting and fishing, canoe-kayak, horse riding, etc..). The site
is also very close to a vast network of hiking trails, among which the Hibou Nord-Sud Trail, a golf course, and is surrounded by beautiful mountainous sceneries you
will want to explore. And on top of these many activities and attractions, you will
find lodging and accommodations at the very foot of the Tourist Station and its
hills. |
| By now, you understand that coming to Stoneham means discovering the perfect
blend of history, nature, and the dynamism of a modern city, all in the heart of a
forest that discloses only for you breathtaking sceneries and amazing sights,
whatever the season. |
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HISTORY
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If he lived today, Reverend Philip Tosey would hardly recognize the diminutive 70
acres hamlet that constituted what he had nicknamed Stoneham in 1792. In that
era, the Huron river was the only access way to this vast territory located north of the
capital city. In 1796, the Stoneham and Tewkesbury townships are established and
considered as unique entities.
The 1831 census reflects that the territory consisted of about 32 families of English,
Scottish and Irish descent. Most French-speaking residents arrived in the middle of
the 19th century and settled mainly it the Tewkesbury area.
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The creation, at the turn of the century, of a railway line linking Stoneham and
Tewkesbury to the United Hamlets in Loretteville was the cornerstone that an
intensive exploitation of the forest. It was mainly used to freight merchandises and
lumber in and out of the Brown Corporation and the Donnacona Paper Co. The
lumber was then floated down to Stoneham on the Huron river, where it was loaded
on another train towards the Capital city. Lumber was also floated down on the
Jacques-Cartier river.
The golden age of the territory's forest exploitation left its traces on architectural
scenery, mainly on the First Avenue where the Donnacona Paper Co. built
residences for its employees, among other things. These houses, sold to some
employees in 1975, are part of the heritage of the Cantons-Unis urban landscape
and still today, they confer to this part of the village its unique character.
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The municipality and its surrounding territory are presently considered as one of
the widest area in Quebec (684,87km2/426 square miles). On top of the forest
industry, which is the foundation of the local economy, the tourist and recreational
activities were developed and make the Cantons-Unis of Stoneham-and-Tewkesbury
one of the major centers of outdoors activities in Quebec.
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THE MONT WRIGHT
ANCESTRAL FOREST PARK
(LE PARC DE LA FORÊT
ANCIENNE DU MONT WRIGHT)
This vast 462 acres forest territory was entrusted to the Wright family by the British
Government in 1850. Up until 1972, the territory was only used for small-scale,
craft-type production by its inhabitants.
In 1972, Sydney Wright, last descendant of the Wright family, died and in his will
left the estate to the Municipal Corporation, as long as this Corporation agreed to
keep the territory as a preservation park, in memory of Wright's
family.
In 1997, the "Direction de l'Environnement Forestier du Ministère des Ressources
Naturelles (MRN)" identified Mount Wright as Exceptional Forest Ecosystem. The
peculiar cachet of the "old forest" can be explained by the constant presence of
yellow birch trees, beech trees, and a variety of red pine trees going back to 300
years.
The projects put forward in 2002 to develop the territory tend to put in place
accommodations (specifically hiking trails equipped with interpretation panels)
aiming at stopping the deterioration of the fragile harmony of this surrounding and
heightening visitors' awareness to the preservation of Mount Wright. The
municipality of the Cantons-Unis, the Association Forestière du Québec
Métropolitain, the Capital Pathways, and the Fédération de Montagne et d'Escalade
are the main participants in this movement trying to protect the environment and to
sensitize people to responsible ecotourism.
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