TOURISM. Six partner organizations are unveiling a new tourist route that makes the Saint-François River its main attraction. Starting this summer, the public and tourists are invited to discover the Saint-François Tour.
The MRCs of Drummond, Nicolet-Yamaska and Val-Saint-François, as well as the Abénakis d’Odanak community, Tourisme Centre-du-Québec and Tourisme Drummondville unveiled the tourist circuit this Thursday on the Diversimmo terrace in Drummondville. The route stretches for nearly 250 kilometres along roads that run along the Saint-François River between Windsor, in Val Saint-François, to the south and Pierreville, in Nicolet-Yamaska, to the north.
The aim is to help people discover the region through its natural attractions, small businesses, artists, artisans and food producers.
“We aim to provide a rural experience,” says Yanick Gamelin, director of Tourisme Drummondville. “There will also be urban activities, but above all, we want to offer people the chance to go and see what’s happening in the countryside, discover the bucolic landscapes of the river and agritourism on nice days. This is our starting point, to which we add cultural, outdoor and especially nautical activities.”
Already, more than a hundred attractions, activities and points of interest are among the stops on the circuit. It is promised that the number is set to grow in the coming years as different local tourism projects are developed.
“There are projects on the drawing boards of several organizations that we are waiting for and, we hope, that will see the light of day to improve the offer. The circuit could eventually be signposted on the roads, be recognized by the Ministry of Tourism when the offer has grown. These are things that could happen later,” explains Mr. Gamelin.
As for Tourisme Drummondville, we have been working for six years to develop a route around the Saint-François River. Over time, it evolved to finally join the various partners who enabled the creation of the Saint-François Tour.
“We had to realize that if we wanted a strong product, which had a lot of interesting and diverse things to offer, we had to work together. Drummondville is geographically the central point, but each region has its hub where we find lots of activities,” emphasizes the director of Tourisme Drummondville.
Regional pride
During the unveiling, representatives from each region shared the pride they have in seeing such a journey come to fruition. For the prefect of the MRC of Drummond and mayor of Saint-Majorique-de-Grantham, Line Fréchette, this represents the synergy that exists between the three MRCs involved in the Saint-François Tour.
“It’s also an invitation to the people of Drummond to walk more on our territory and enjoy the beauty of our river. We want to showcase it. We’ve optimized it over the years, but this tour enhances everything. We hope it becomes a must-see for locals,” says Ms. Fréchette, while noting that the MRC plans to announce news about the Drummond Forest Regional Park in the coming months.
“Our region deserves to be known for its outdoor activities, its agritourism and its gravel bike trails,” says Pierre Tétrault, prefect of the MRC du Val-Saint-François and mayor of Valcourt. “Together, we have created a route that will become a significant destination for our visitors.”
“Each landscape is an invitation to explore and discover. We worked together to showcase the river because water is undeniably a compelling product that deserves to be developed sustainably,” says Geneviève Dubois, Warden of the MRC of Nicolet-Yamaska and Mayor of Nicolet.
“A partnership between us was inevitable,” comments Martin Gill, elected to the council of the Abenaki community of Odanak. We are all connected by the river. This tour is an opportunity to discover the rich history of the Abenakis and to highlight the beauty and diversity of our territory.”
The development of the Saint-François Tour received financial assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ). All the details regarding the circuit can be found on the Tourisme Drummondville website.
__
L’Express invites you to download its application. You will be able to continue reading your news for free, in real time. Don’t forget to turn on notifications!
Apple : https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/lexpress-de-drummondville/id1575799821?l=fr-CA
Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.journalexpress.app&hl=fr
