The Imagination Park comes to life in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton

At the origin of this project, there was a transaction between Desjardins and the municipality of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, which occurred in 2017. The conversion of the old cash register into a municipal library did not take long. It remained to be determined what would become of the woodland linked to this acquisition which covers an area of ​​56,500 m2 bordering the church, the cemetery and Calvary Mountain.

“We started thinking about what we could do with this huge land. The idea arose to make trails [afin] so that people can reclaim this forest and it becomes a gathering place,” explains the mayor, Charline Plante, who was a municipal councilor at the time of these beginnings.

The construction of the courtyard was the first stage of this project. Although its creation caused some controversy, it has been in use for two years. According to the mayor, this outdoor stage allows the presentation of shows or civic activities in a safe environment, since it is landlocked far from traffic arteries.

The development of the walking paths in the woods connecting the courtyard to the library has been complete for a little over six months. All that was missing were the interpretation and signage panels for the housewarming party.

For the future of the park, Charline Plante foresees that citizens will be able to add artistic creations that will integrate with the very little transformed natural elements. Already, a teepee made of branches has been erected by citizens in a clearing, a suitable place for story time a few meters from the library.

Two walking paths have been set up, the shortest which goes from the entrance, behind the library to emerge directly behind the church where the courtyard is installed. The longest route of almost 3 km gives access to the Calvary mountain where the belvedere belonging to the factory is located. “Everything comes together,” says the mayor.

The inauguration ceremony concluded with the unveiling of a work of art created by Trois-Rivières artist Alejandra Basanes installed in the municipal library. The work entitled Three spirals and a bird was acquired as part of the Program for the Integration of Arts into Architecture and the Environment, in connection with the development of Parc de l’Imaginaire.

More than a million investments

The costs of creating the Parc de l’Imaginaire are estimated at $1,050,000, including the construction of the courtyard and the development of the trails.

Representatives of Caisses Desjardins de l’Ouest de la Mauricie, its president Martine Fortin and its general manager Karine Taschereau, were present to highlight the participation of the Fonds du grand movement to the tune of $220,000.

“The Imagination Park will encourage the practice of physical activities while giving young people the chance to benefit from a place of learning and discovery. [C]This initiative has the potential to exert a positive influence in our community by improving people’s quality of life,” underlined Martine Fortin.

The MP for Maskinongé, Simon Allaire, also reiterated the support of the Quebec government for Parc de l’Imaginaire. Through the contribution of various programs — the Regional Outreach Fund of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the Tourism Development Strategies Support Program — the project received $542,000 in provincial grants.

For its part, Tourisme Mauricie granted $43,000 to carry out this development thanks to a regional tourism partnership agreement. Its general director, Valérie Therrien, was also present during this inauguration.

According to Benoit Gauthier, who was general manager of the municipality until December 2021, municipal funding for the project is equivalent to 10 percent of the envelope necessary to create this infrastructure. Approximately $40,000 in private donations were obtained for this project during its implementation, according to the former general director.