Discover La Route des Belles‑Histoires

Travel back in time with Curé Labelle along the Route des Belles-Histoires, one of Quebec’s official tourist routes! This guided BaladoDiscovery tour presents the Laurentians from a different angle. Take Route 117 and the P’tit Train du Nord linear park between Saint-Jérôme and Mont-Laurier to follow in the footsteps of the region’s early settlers. There are 48 points of interest to discover, interspersed with audio stories, videos, texts, and photos showing how forestry, agriculture and tourism developed in the Laurentians. 

ON SITE

The interactive BaladoDiscovery map provides information upon request and lets you see your location in real time in relation to the points of interest, regardless of whether you follow the recommended itinerary. 

To access the map and educational content anywhere, without having to worry about Wi-Fi availability, please use the Preload option in the BaladoDiscovery mobile app (available for both iOS and Android).

Recommended starting point: Saint-Jérôme (heading north) or Mont-Laurier (heading south).

THE TOUR

Drive along one of the settler routes through the Rivière-du-Nord, Pays-d’en-Haut, Laurentians, and Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipalities (RCMs). These four RCMs each have their own unique personality, one-of-a-kind attractions, history, and founders.

Happy discovering!

CREDITS

Tourisme Laurentides would like to thank the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec for its contribution and Mr. Michel Allard, Doctor of History, museum specialist, author, retired Université du Québec à Montréal professor and member of the Laurentian Ski Hall of Fame, for his invaluable contribution.

“I had the privilege of working with Tourisme Laurentides on this BaladoDiscovery tour, which follows the Route des Belles-Histoires. It runs along part of the “P’tit train du Nord” cycle path, which, from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier, follows the old Canadian Pacific Railway. The tour tells the story of settlement in this vast region and paints a picture of the forestry, agriculture and tourism development that ensued. It is based on events involving secular and religious founders, including Antoine Labelle, the legendary priest commonly known as the “King of the North”.

- Michel Allard

Although the information covered in the Route des Belles-Histoires BaladoDiscovery podcast is based on a number of historical sources, some elements have been adapted for narrative purposes. Tourisme Laurentides cannot be held responsible for any omission or inaccuracy that may have found its way into the content, the goal being to provide entertainment using a subject matter related to an official tourist route in the Laurentians.

We hope you have a wonderful time on the Route des Belles-Histoires!

This audio guide is based on real events. The story has been adapted at the request of Tourisme Laurentides in order to provide the public with a new way to discover the region, via BaladoDiscovery.

For more information about the Laurentians, visit laurentians.com.

PRODUCTION

An initiative of Tourisme Laurentides made possible through funding from the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would also like to thank the Rivière du Nord, Pays-d'en-Haut, Laurentians, and Antoine-Labelle RCMs for their direct and/or indirect contributions to the Route des Belles-Histoires.

RESEARCH AND WRITING

Francine Loubert, Communications Citron-Lime

REFERENCES

Antoine-Labelle RCM audio guide; À la découverte de l’ouest au cœur des Laurentides, Circuit patrimonial de Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Circuits touristiques de Sainte-Adèle, Grands développeur des Pays-d’en-Haut, Histoire de Saint-Sauveur – D’hier à aujourd’hui, Les murales des Pays-d’en-Haut et Les voies de notre histoire BaladoDiscovery podcasts; Dictionary of Canadian Biography; Rivière-du-Nord RCM, Pays-d’en-Haut RCM and Laurentians RCM capsules; Labelle heritage and art tour; Histoire du secteur du village et centre-ville de Mont-Tremblant heritage tour; Val-David heritage and public art tours; Route du Lièvre Rouge tourist tour; Les Pays d’en Haut online documentary by Radio-Canada; La petite histoire des Pays d’en haut by Radio-Canada; Des traces dans la neige : cent ans de ski au Québec, a book by Danielle Soucy, Éditions La Presse; Le train du Nord… vers Labelle, a book by La Société d’Histoire de Chute-aux-Iroquois; websites of Prévost, Saint-Sauveur, Sainte-Adèle, Val-David, Mont-Tremblant, and Labelle municipalities, of the Laurentian Ski Museum and the Musée virtuel de Prévost; Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec; Patrimoine du Québec, Les ponts couverts au Québec; Société d’histoire Chute aux Iroquois; Société d’histoire de La Repousse; Société d’histoire de la Rivière-du-Nord; Société d’histoire et de généalogie des Hautes-Laurentides; Société d’histoire et de généalogie des Pays-d’en-Haut and Société d’histoire et du patrimoine de Val-David.