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Actualité 2020-12-02 Johanne Mitchell
Art et culture Heritage

Cyprienne, Musée régional’s little mouse, visits the canal!

 

December 2nd, 2020

Cyprienne visits the canal!

 

Have you met Cyprienne the Mouse? She’s the cultural ambassador of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional Museum, the mini leader of education services for the museum’s school programs. This busy mouse is also part of shop local campaigns all over the region of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Hero of 11 youth literature albums, Cyprienne stars in yet another adventure, launched just in time for the holidays. Guess where this latest adventure takes place? The old power dam in Les Cèdres! We thought this was a great time to introduce you to Cyprienne and the artists behind this charming project.

 

A Tiny History of Cyprienne the Mouse

The first volume of Cyprienne’s tales, Les aventures de Cyprienne, was released in 2010. Since her first adventure, Cyprienne has had a very special power: she can travel through time just by touching objects in the museum’s collection. The possibilities are endless! Cyprienne is on a mission to use her time traveling abilities to uncover the past, taking her young readers on imaginative and educational journeys through history.

 

Chantal Séguin, author

Visual arts curator and director of education services for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional Museum, Chantal Séguin has played a vital role in the region’s cultural landscape for the past 20 years. While she has a particular affection for our beautiful region and its history, Chantal also loves the French language and its rich vocabulary, using its intricacies to share her passions through writing.

 

Johanne Mitchell, illustrator

A talented designer, Johanne Mitchell develops a variety of promotional materials for the museum. From early on, she was fascinated by illustrations for children, leading her to study children’s literature. After dabbling in watercolors, Johanne returned to the media of her youth, crayons.

 

You can find Cyprienne stories at Éditions Vaudreuil in Vaudreuil-Dorion, at hairsalon Myrage in Rigaud, at the Marché écolocal (Les Coteaux) or on their website ecolocal.csur.ca… or directly at the museum!

 

Source : Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, chef de projet Canal de Soulanges

mslebel@developpementvs.com | 450 424-2262, poste 3231

Actualité 2020-07-14
Art et culture Heritage

The Pointe-des-Cascades Lighthouse looks good as new

 

November 17th, 2020

The Pointe-des-Cascades Lighthouse looks good as new

 

If you visited St. Pierre Park in the heart of Pointe-des-Cascades at the beginning of November, did you notice a major landmark was missing? The village’s famous lighthouse went in for a few weeks of rest and restoration to return it to its former glory! The 50-foot structure, built in 1904 and moved to St. Pierre Park, was unassembled, moved and restored before returning home on November 12. The restoration project was the work of Entreprises LD Raby inc. in Saint-Polycarpe. According to the company, the biggest challenges during this project were the transportation of the lighthouse as well as the work required on site. The lighthouse is back and better than ever; all the rust holes were repaired, its stairs were reinforced and it was repainted according to Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) guidelines.

 

You can immediately see that the restoration did a lot of good for the century-old lighthouse. Thanks to the municipality for leading the initiative and to all those who collaborated to make this project a success. Thanks to the municipality for leading the initiative and to all those who collaborated to make this project a success.

 

To learn more about the history and use of lighthouses along the canal, visit our Heritage page.

 

Photo credit: Piero Ravatti

Source : Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, chef de projet canal de Soulanges

mslebel@developpementvs.com | 450 424-2262, poste 3231

Actualité 2020-07-14
Art et culture Heritage

The museum rewards projects linked to the Soulanges Canal!

 

November 10th, 2020

The museum rewards projects linked to the Soulanges Canal!

On October 21, the Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the Conseil des arts et de la culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges announced the winners of the 2020 prix du Mérite patrimonial during the museum’s virtual annual general assembly. Since 1997, the prix du Mérite patrimonial has recognized the efforts of individuals and organizations working to elevate the importance of heritage.

2020 was a special year for the awards: the two prizes were given to projects that have ties to the Soulanges Canal. We would like to congratulate and highlight the extraordinary work of the winners. If you missed the news and would like more details , here are the projects honoured this year.

 

The Pointe-des-Cascades Historical Research Society and the Parc des ancres

The Pointe-des-Cascades Historical Research Society was rewarded for their enormous efforts on the new phase of the town’s Parc des ancres. The park pays homage to the maritime history of the region, and recently underwent an incredible transformation during a long-term project that concluded this year. Included in the work was the renewal of the main plaza and the installation of around 50 interpretive panels. Bravo to the whole team for this amazing project.

You can find a complete description of the Parc des ancres on our Heritage page.

 

Sébastien Borduas merges visual art and heritage

The second 2020 Prize was given to visual artist Sébastien Borduas for Passage, a work of art unveiled this fall at the Les Cèdres municipal dock. The work, made possible with financing from the Fonds d’appui au rayonnement régional (FARR) offered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, promotes the Les Cèdres identity as well as the town’s history. Making this work of art truly special is how it was conceived with the environment in mind, so that it is perfectly integrated into the landscape- it is almost as if it has always been there! The project was also recognized by the judges as an important contribution to the enrichment of Les Cèdres’ local cultural scene. Congratulations to Sébastien Borduas for this magnificent piece of art!

You can see a complete description of the project on our site’s Public Art section.

 

Photo credit: Christian Gonzalez (representation of Passage, by Sebastien Borduas)

Source : Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, chef de projet Canal de Soulanges

mslebel@developpementvs.com | 450 424-2262, poste 3231

Actualité 2020-07-14
Activities Biking

An all-outdoors summer at the Soulanges canal

 

September 17th, 2020

It’s already the end of summer, and with it comes the time to look back. It goes without saying, we had quite a summer at the canal! Affluence has been a record high, and the public health situation lead us to think a lot about our practices and to show ingenuity. And I think we can say mission accomplished. A lot of citizens of Vaudreuil-Soulanges benefited from the rental kiosk at the canal, the Zen Saturdays and the Soulanges cycle path. Big thanks to all of our partners, such as the Carrefour jeunesse emploi,the city of Coteau-du-Lac, the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the Comité piste cyclable Soulanges, the Comité jeunesse La Presqu’île, the Ministère des Transports du Québec and the Conseil des arts et de la culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. And a special bravo to our student employees and our yoga coaches who masterfully took on the challenge! For more details, I invite you to take a look at the press release below. We put away our equipment and we’ll see you next year!

Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, project lead – Soulanges canal

 

An all-outdoors summer at the Soulanges canal (Press release)

The first days of September marked the end of some summer activities at the Soulanges canal. Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges (DEV) draws up a more than positive assessment of summer 2020. Let’s remember that the economic development organism suggested to visitors various activities, such as a kayak and SUP rental kiosk as well as Zen Saturdays, thanks to the financial support of the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the participation of various partners in the region.

« This summer was absolutely crazy at the canal! Employees and collaborators managed to overcome the challenges imposed by the pandemic and the heavy traffic.» says Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, project lead – Soulanges canal at DEV. More than ever, citizens took advantages of the activities and services that were offered to them. « We could see it in people’s eyes, going out and practice safe activities close to their homes really did them some good », adds Mrs Sigouin-Lebel.

Citizens paddled at the canal this summer!

The rental kiosk in downtown Coteau-du-Lac was a must this summer for the region’s population. More than 1000 rentals were made during the nine weeks of operations. Uplifting statistics for this second year. « We’re really satisfied, this excitement for boating on the canal already allows us to plan for
an upgraded version next year! » sustains Marianne Sigouin-Lebel. The Carrefour Jeunesse emploi Vaudreuil-Soulanges (CJEVS) joined forces with DEV for the daily coordination of the activities. This allowed for 5 young people to benefit from a rewarding work experience, outside, near their homes. « I didn’t hesitate for a second to get on board with this amazing project. It’s our mission to allow young people to work in places where they’re happy and can surpass themselves. The CJEVS is proud to be part of this project and to contribute to the influence of the canal and the region! » says Ève Belec, the organism’s general director. DEV and the CJEVS want to highlight the excellent work from the team and to thanks the Ville de Coteau-du-Lac and Service Canada for their precious collaboration.

Saturday mornings more Zen than ever!

Zen Saturdays were also back on the edge of the canal, in Coteau-du-Lac’s city centre. The 9 days scheduled on the calendar allow to welcome more than 260 yogis this summer for free, one-hour-long sessions. DEV wishes to thank the professors and animators of these workshops who certainly did a world of good for participants : Stéphane Verkempinck, Sonia Lefebvre, Édith Chamberland, Julie Perreault and Stéphanie Théorêt.

A record-smashing year on the Soulanges cycle path

The season also was characterized by record traffic on the Soulanges cycle path. Already at the beginning of May, the numbers provided by the automatic counters would prepare the Comité piste cyclable Soulanges for an extraordinary summer. Indeed, between May 1st and September 14th 2020, more than 120 000 passes were recorded by the counter, an increase of 20% compared to last season. « We’re happy, the people of Vaudreuil-Soulanges found in the Soulanges cycle path a place to safely enjoy the summer. We hope this trend will stay and that they will keep visiting us for walks during the winter » says Martin Juneau, pesident of the Comité piste cyclable Soulanges and municipal advisor at Pointe-des-Cascades. Let’s remember that measures were quickly deployed to ensure the safety of the cycle path’s users. A partnership was also concluded between DEV and the Comité Jeunesse La Presqu’île to deploy a bike patrol service (the Anges des parcs) and activities destined for young people (the Projet X). These two initiatives contributed to make of the cycle path an animated and safe place.

Maintenance on the Soulanges cycle path for bicycle season officially ends on October 15th. However, it remains accessible all year long for walking.

Source : Audrey Bourgon Touchette, Director, communications and tourism promotion
abtouchette@developpementvs.com | 450 424-2262, ext. 3235

Actualité 2020-07-14
Environment Events

ZIP Committee Clean-Up initiative with Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent

September 15th, 2020

ZIP Committee Clean-Up initiative

 

If you visited the west end of the Soulanges canal on September 11, you may have noticed a group of divers, volunteers and committee members from ZIP Haut-Saint-Laurent hard at work. They were all out in support of Semaine du Saint-Laurent, a week celebrating the famous river. ZIP coordinated an effort with multiple partners to clean up the riverbed and bank, in service of the greater goal of restoring the St. Lawrence River eco-system. The initiative was financed by the Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent (FASL) and the Programme maritime pour la biodiversité du Saint-Laurent in collaboration with the Government of Québec.

The clean-up was a great success. More than 50 people gave their time, removing a significant amount of trash from the waterway. We would like to thank the ZIP committee for this wonderful initiative and for their continued efforts to protect our natural environments!

For more information about the ZIP committee and its mission, please visit their website: http://www.ziphsl.org/

 

Photo credit:  Elizabeth Leroux

Source : Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, chef de projet Canal de Soulanges

mslebel@developpementvs.com | 450 424-2262, poste 3231

Actualité 2020-07-14
Activities

Safe escapades at the Soulanges canal for this summer season!

 

July 14th, 2020

Safe escapades at the Soulanges canal. The enchanting site adapts and is animated this summer!
(Press release)

The current pandemic period changes vacation plans for a lot of families. The Soulanges canal has become for several weeks a choice place to practice one’s favorite activities and to take a sunbath. Local and regional partners mobilized to offer visitors safe activities to allow them to fully take advantage of this great space. « Since the start of spring, traffic near and in the Soulanges canal is very high, which brought a revising of our strategy for this summer to adapt to the new COVID-19 reality», mentions Mrs Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, project lead for the Soulanges canal at Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges (DEV). To take on this challenge, DEV could rely on numerous partners, such as the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the riverside municipalities as well as the collaboration and enthusiasm of the Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi Vaudreuil-Soulanges (CJE) and of the Comité Jeunesse La Presqu’île (CJLP).

This summer, in addition to the popular Soulanges cycle path, outdoors activities will be there at the canal (kayak, SUP, yoga, bicycle rally, etc.). Moreover, an offer specially dedicated to teens and young adults was developed.

Coteau-du-Lac’s Kayak Shack

In the heart of Coteau-du-Lac, right in the dedicated parking lot for the Soulanges cycle path, is installed the Kayak Shack , a single or double kayak and SUP rental container. Also, citizens possessing a non-motorized boat can use the wharf to launch them on the rental site. This year, DEV partnered with CJE for the rental service to allow the organism to promote its services. « The Kayak Shack offers us the opportunity to go beyond our walls and to directly meet young people in a totally different context », mentions with enthusiasm Eve Bélec, the organism’s general director. « Our support service allows us to support young people aged 15 to 35 in their professional career», adds Mrs Bélec while reminding us that these past few months were particularly hard for them.

Projet X on the shores of the Canal

Still for young people, the popular initiative Projet X will be deployed for the first time on the shores of the Soulanges canal. At various places and in a spontaneous manner, animators from the CJLP will offer three times a week various activities for teens. According to Judith Girouard, general director of the organism, « these playful animations will bring healthy alternatives for young people while balancing socialization with physical distancing» Deployed for a few years in parks of certain Vaudreuil-Soulanges municipalities, Projet X allows to reduce misdemeanors and substance abuse while offering teens a caring ear as well as an adapted intervention.

Besides, thanks to collaboration between organisms, the« jeudis des jeunes » will allow teens aged between 14 and 17 to have a preferential location fee for kayaks and SUP and the possibility to be entertained on site with Projet X’s animation. Several surprises will make these Thursdays interesting.

Return of Zen Saturdays

Again this year, yogis will meet up to recharge on the shores of the Soulanges canal, as part of Zen Saturdays. At 9:30 am every Saturday morning until August 29, free, one-hour long sessions lead by a yoga or Qigong instructor will be offered near the Kayak Shack in Coteau-du-Lac. Participants must bring their towel or yoga mat.

Bicycle rally with family or friends

Two bicycle circuits will be held on August 23 at the Soulanges canal, a 25 km rally or a 50 km one. Participants will need to go as a team along the cycle path and riverside neighborhoods, looking for clues while seeing the Soulanges canal under a new light. For the low cost of 60$ per team (maximum 4 members per team), participants will receive gifts, taste local products and will perhaps go home with the grand prize of a value of more than 600$ (escapade for 4 in Vaudreuil-Soulanges). Teams can sign up on the ExploreVS website at the following address.

Dedicated cycle path patrol and hygiene rules

Bicycle patrol teams will raise awareness about municipal rules and the respect of hygiene measures. The Anges des parcs, a project also spearheaded by the CJPL, was made in partnership with the Sûreté du Québec. This patrol will also lend help in case of an injury, an accident, minor bicycle damage, etc. Their presence is also reassuring because they’re also certified to intervene on the canal’s waters.

« The 23-kilometer-long Soulanges canal and the 35-kilometer-long Soulanges cycle path going through six municipalities, from Rivière-Beaudette to Pointe-des-Cascades, will offer this summer a place to be entertained and take advantage of the great outdoors, in a enchanting and safe setting» underlines Joanne Brunet, DEV’s general director. «Many of these projects were made possible thanks to the financial participation of the Fonds d’aide et de relance COVID-19 of the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, and I want to take the opportunity to thank the Conseil des maires for their participation», she concluded.

Hygiene measures reminder

All the actors insist that users of the Soulanges canal’s facilities respect hygiene measures, to keep a two-meter physical distancing and to avoid large gatherings. Many municipalities make their public toilets accessible and ensure their frequent cleaning. As such, we recommend visitors bring their own personal belongings, as well as disinfecting gel or towelettes . Actors and municipalities free themselves from all responsibility concerning eventual inconvenience stemming from the usage of sanitary blocs. Visitors must be vigilant.

In addition :

Actualité 2020-06-30 Valerie Sangin
Biking

A biking rally to discover the beauties of the Soulanges canal!

 

June 30, 2020

A bicycle rally to discover the Soulanges canal!

This August 23rd, the Soulanges canal will host the last of the 5 ExploreVS Rallies, organized by Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges and its partners!

Completed by bicycle and designed as two distinct loops (one short and one long, depending on how strong you pedal!), each rally is made to be completed in 3 or 4 hours and has around 50 questions.

The sign-up fee is 60$ for a group of 4 cyclists. You’ll have with your entry some gifts (local products and promotional items themed around the region) for an approximate value of 100$. Wow!

The important part is to participate, but…

Upon completing its rally, each team must hand in their questionnaire to the organizers. The team with the most points will be declared the winner and will win the Grand Prize of a value of 600$. This prize is a package for 4 people for an unforgettable stay in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, containing a night (for 4 people), 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and 4 free passes for an activity!

Fun and safety on the program

The event logistics are provided by the Groupe SDL Animation. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the emphasis is put on observation during the search for answers. Safety first, which is why rallies are not timed.

For details and to sign up, click HERE!

For the full press release, click HERE!

Have a good rally!

 

Photo credit: Valérie Sangin