The Judith-De Brésoles Ecological Reserve is a public conservation area in the municipality of Lac-Édouard, in La Tuque, in the region of Mauricie, in Quebec, Canada. Its raison d'être is to ensure the protection of ecosystems representative of the ecological region of the Lower Laurentians of Saguenay, which belongs to the fir-yellow birch domain.

This 10.895 km² (4.207 sq mi) reserve is administered by the Government of Quebec.

Understand

History

This ecological reserve was established in 1992.

This toponym evokes the memory of Sister Judith Moreau De Brésoles (1620-1687) who is recognized for her talents in medicine and pharmacy. This personality was the founder and first superior of the hospital nuns of the Hôtel-Dieu de Ville-Marie (now Montreal).

Geography

The territory of this ecological reserve is located in the canton of Trudel, a few kilometers southwest of the village of Lac-Édouard. This reserve is on the southeast side of the northern part of lac Édouard; its southwestern limit is very close to Gull Rock Bay in Lake Edward. Its northern and western limit runs along Damasse Street, the only access road to this reserve. The main body of water in this Reserve is Lac Mauvais.

This reserve is part of the vast physiographic region of the Precambrian Shield. According to the Ministry of the Environment's website, the unconsolidated deposits in this reserve are tills, more or less deep depending on the position on the slope, and fluvio-glacial sediments of the kame and esker types, composed mainly of sands, gravel and pebbles. Thus, from these deposits, ferro-humic and humo-ferric podzols developed.

According to the Ministry, the main forest groups of the ecological reserve can be summarized as follows: pure yellow birch, yellow birch fir, balsam fir with yellow birch, white birch, pure black spruce, black spruce with fir, balsam fir and aspen forest. At the western end of the site, the Department has identified the presence of a sugar maple-yellow birch grove, a group located at the northern limit of its distribution area; which is rare in the field of balsam fir to yellow birch.

Go

The village of Lac-Édouard is accessible by plane, road, train, snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles. From the village of Lac-Édouard, all you have to do is take rue Damasse (south-west) and cross the railway line, and drive for approximately 2.8 km (1.7 mi) passing near Lac Aval, until at the northern limit of the Ecological Reserve.

By train

• Using ViaRail, take the train from Montreal to Lac-Édouard railway station. The train can in the Reserve stop upon request by a passenger. The village of Lac-Édouard is connected by a passenger rail service offered by Via Rail. This village has been on the railway line connecting Lac Saint-Jean and Montreal since 1885. The gare du Lac-Édouard was the turning point the arrival of passengers by train (including patients going to the sanatorium, visitors, workers, vacationers, forestry contractors), supplies (e.g. food, equipment) from outside the region and materials for families and industries.

By car

• From Montreal (351 km (218 mi). Time: 4 hr 13 min. Take highway 40 (north shore) eastbound, to Trois-Rivières; take highway 55 (northbound) to Grand-Mère, which becomes route 155 and cross the Saint-Maurice river bridge; take road 155, bypass the village of La Tuque, until the Halte du Curé-Normandin; take Chemin du Lac-Édouard (eastbound) to the village of Lac-Édouard.
• From Quebec (city) (300 km (190 mi). Time: 3 hr 42 min. Take highway 40 westbound to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, then take route 159 through the villages of Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain, Saint-Stanislas, Saint-Séverin, Saint-Tite and Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac; take road 155, bypass the village of La Tuque, until the Halte du Curé-Normandin; take Chemin du Lac-Édouard (eastbound) to the village of Lac-Édouard.

See

• Wildlife observation. (updated Dec 2021)

Do

• Sentiers pédestres (Hiking trails). A hiking trail begins at the Canadian National Railway, on the south side of the village of Lac-Édouard. This path runs more or less along Damasse Street, which serves the eastern shore of Lake Édouard. Heading south, this trail winds its way around a mountain on the east side, reaching 440 m (1,440 ft) as it passes near the outlet of Lake Aval. Then, the trail runs along the east shore of Lake Édouard. Then, it moves away from the shore by climbing the mountain (summit at 440 m), to reach the west side of Bad Lake. Then, this trail continues south along the shore of Lake Edward. (updated Dec 2021)

Eat, drink and sleep

There are no restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, kiosk and lodging in Judith-De Brésoles Ecological Reserve.

Go next

• 1 Lac-Édouard Municipality of Haute-Batiscanie, the village of Lac-Édouard is located on the edge of Lake Édouard, 60 km (by road) from downtown La Tuque. This locality is famous for its forestry and for its recreational tourism activities. (resort, outfitters, nautical activities, snowmobiling, mountain biking).
• 2 La Tuque City of Haute-Mauricie, in Quebec, with 11,000 inhabitants in 2016. The three Indian reserves which are landlocked on its territory, have their own administration. This vast territory of 28,099 km² (10,849 sq mi), especially forest, is a paradise for recreational and tourism activities.
• 3 Laurentides Wildlife Reserve Wildlife reserve straddling the administrative regions of Quebec Region, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Mauricie. It covers an area of 7,934 km² (3,063 sq mi).
• 4 Réserve écologique du Bog-à-Lanières Ecological reserve covering 4.3 hectares (11 acres) to the south-east of the village of Lac-Édouard, in Haute-Batiscanie.
• 5 ZEC de la Rivière-Blanche Controlled exploitation zone (ZEC) covering 729 km² in the county of Portneuf. It is bounded to the south by the Portneuf wildlife reserve and to the west by the ZEC Jeannotte; to the east by the Zec Batiscan-Neilson and to the north by the Laurentides wildlife reserve.
• 6 ZEC Kiskissink Controlled exploitation zone (ZEC) northeast of the city of La Tuque. It covers an area of 830 km² (320 sq mi).
• 7 ZEC Ménokéosawin Controlled Harvesting Zone (ZEC) in the municipality of Lac-Édouard and La Tuque. It has 162 lakes in an area of 298.5 km² (115.3 sq mi).
• 8 ZEC Borgia Controlled harvesting zone (ZEC) northeast of the city of La Tuque. More than 194 lakes have been counted in the territory of this zec, including 59 exploited for fishing. It covers an area of ​​556 km² (215 sq mi).
• 9 ZEC Jeannotte Controlled harvesting zone (ZEC) in the municipality of Lac Édouard, about 30 km (19 mi) east of the town of La Tuque. Its territory, which is an island, is more or less framed by Lake Édouard, the Jeannotte River and the Batiscan River.