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La renaissance de Murdochville : A White-Gold Empire Reborn

  • February 11, 2021
  • Ned Morgan
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Là où tous voyaient une ville bonne à enterrer, Guillaume Molaison a plutôt imaginé un paradis de la glisse où il fait bon vivre. mots :: Maxime Bilodeau.

Personne ne donnait cher de la peau de Murdochville au début du millénaire — pas même les Murdochvillois. Le 25 août 2002, après des semaines de déchirements, les quelque 1000 habitants de cette ville minière située au centre de la péninsule Gaspésienne votaient à 65 % en faveur de sa fermeture. Ce référendum devait être le dénouement d’une triste saga; trois ans auparavant, la mine de cuivre Noranda mettait la clé sous la porte, imitée au printemps 2002 par l’autre principal employeur de la ville, la fonderie Mines Gaspé. Le Gouvernement du Québec ne l’entend cependant pas ainsi et décide de maintenir en vie la municipalité. Dans les années qui ont suivi, c’est l’exode : Murdochville devient ville fantôme. Dans les années 70, au sommet de sa prospérité, jusqu’à 5000 personnes y ont vécu.

Guillaume Molaison, 37 ans, se souvient bien de cette époque maudite. Né et élevé à Douglastown, à une centaine de kilomètres de Murdochville, jamais il n’aurait pensé s’y établir pour élever une famille, comme il l’a pourtant fait en 2006. C’est la qualité de la glisse qui lui a fait voir « Murdoch » sous un autre jour : celui d’une destination de ski incontournable dans l’est de l’Amérique du Nord. « L’enneigement est surréaliste : la région reçoit plus de sept mètres de neige par hiver. Les nombreuses montagnes des environs deviennent alors de formidables terrains de jeu », explique le guide d’aventure de formation. Il n’y a pas que le microclimat unique de ce paradis de la poudreuse qui lui a ouvert les yeux; il y a aussi le faible coût de la vie. L’hypothèque pour un quadruplex était alors de 25 $ par mois, une aubaine!

L’empire de l’or blanc

Tout est cependant à faire pour concrétiser sa vision. À l’époque, les amateurs de glisse n’ont pour seule option qu’une petite station familiale munie d’une vieille arbalète (T-bar ). Dès la fondation de Chic-Chac en 2009, Guillaume Molaison s’évertue donc à aménager des sites de ski hors-piste dans les environs. Le premier morceau de son gigantesque puzzle est le Porphyre, une montagne d’environ 300 mètres de dénivelé situé à un jet de pierre de Murdochville et où on retrouve une douzaine de sous-bois. Le sérieux de sa démarche fait tourner les têtes et lui ouvre des portes, notamment auprès des élus locaux et régionaux. Dans les dix années suivantes, les monts Lyall, York et Miller tombent dans le giron de l’empire de Molaison.

« Murdochville est l’un des rares endroits sur la côte est américaine où il est possible d’évoluer en habiletés. Aussi bien les skieurs de niveau expert que ceux néophytes y trouvent leur compte, et ce dès le temps des Fêtes, puisqu’il y a toujours beaucoup de neige au sol à ce moment-là », souligne Guillaume Molaison. Remontées en véhicule à chenilles, corridors d’ascension pour la peau de phoque, ski alpin traditionnel en centre et même des forfaits d’héliski : l’offre n’est rien de moins qu’ahurissant. Les amateurs de glisse en ont pris note : on estime qu’ils sont environ 5 000 skieurs et planchistes à fréquenter Murdochville chaque hiver. De ce nombre, un pourcentage sans cesse grandissant provient de l’extérieur du Québec, surtout de l’Ontario et des États-Unis. Le nombre de femmes est aussi en augmentation, entre autres grâce au White Lips, un séjour d’initiation au ski hors-piste 100 % féminin.

La-renaissance-de-Murdochville-A-White-Gold-Empire-Reborn-photo-by-BENOIT-BISSON-Mont-York
Mont York. Photo: BENOIT BISSON

Renaissance

Entre-temps, l’espoir est revenu à Murdochville : plus personne ne parle de fermer la ville. Au contraire, il est plutôt question de renaissance, confirme Delisca Ritchie-Roussy, mairesse de Murdochville. « Nous avons de nouveau un avenir : ce n’est pas rien. Heureusement que des gens comme Guillaume y ont cru; ils n’étaient pas nombreux », concède-t-elle. Signe que les temps sont à la réjouissance, les maisons commencent à reprendre de la valeur — elles vaudraient désormais plus du triple qu’il y a une dizaine d’années. En outre, des investissements conséquents dans les divers commerces de la ville, comme le supermarché ou la station-service, pleuvent. La cerise sur le gâteau : des gens de l’extérieur s’achètent des pied-à-terre sur place pour venir y satisfaire leur besoin de poudreuse, amenant avec eux leurs précieux capitaux.

Malgré tout, Guillaume Molaison n’estime pas sa mission accomplie. Aux abonnés absents, à Murdochville? De l’hébergement haut de gamme, répond-il du tac au tac. « Dans les prochaines années, nous allons construire une gigantesque auberge à proximité du lac York, comme on peut en trouver dans l’Ouest canadien. Celui-ci deviendra le point de chute, la porte d’entrée à la fois pour nos activités hivernales et estivales », prédit-il. Si on se fie à sa feuille de route, ça promet.


 * * *

No one expected much of a future for Murdochville at the start of this millennium—not even the Murdochvillians. On August 25, 2002, after weeks of turmoil, the approximately 1,000 residents of this mining town located in the centre of the Gaspé Peninsula voted 65% in favour of its closure. This referendum was to be the outcome of a sad saga; three years earlier, the Noranda copper mine shut down, followed in the spring of 2002 by the city’s other main employer, the Mines Gaspé smelter. However, the Government of Quebec does not see it that way and decided to keep the town alive. In the years that followed, there was an exodus: Murdochville became a ghost town. In the 1970s, at the height of its prosperity, as many as 5,000 people lived there.

La-renaissance-de-Murdochville-A-White-Gold-Empire-Reborn-skier-Nic-Sauve-photo-by-NICK-DIGNARD
Nic Sauvé. Photo: NICK DIGNARD

Guillaume Molaison, 37 years old, has vivid memories of this cursed era. Born and raised in Douglastown, about 100 kilometres from Murdochville, he never thought he would settle there to raise a family, as he did in 2006. It is the quality of the skiing that made him see “Murdoch” in a different light: that of a go-to ski destination in eastern North America. “The snowfall is surreal: the region receives over seven metres of snow per winter. The many mountains in the area then become fantastic playgrounds,” explains the trained adventure guide. Not only has the unique microclimate of this powder paradise been an eye-opener, but there is also the low cost of living. In 2006, the mortgage for a quadruplex was $25 per month.

A White Gold Empire

However, much remains to be done for his vision to become a reality. At the time, skiers and boarders had only one option: a small family ski area with an old T-bar. Since establishing Chic-Chac in 2009, Guillaume Molaison has been dedicated to developing off-piste ski trails in the area. The first piece of his gigantic puzzle is the Porphyre, a mountain with an approximately 300-metre vertical drop located a stone’s throw from Murdochville and where there are a dozen sous-bois. The seriousness of his approach turned heads and opened doors for him, especially with locals and regional elected officials. In ten years, Mounts Lyall, York and Miller fell into the hands of Molaison’s empire. “Murdochville is one of the few places on the East Coast where it is possible to improve your skills. Both expert and novice skiers benefit from this, as early as the holiday season, since there is always a lot of snow on the ground at that time,” says Guillaume Molaison. Riding up in a snowcat, skinning up ascent corridors, traditional alpine skiing in the centre and even heliskiing packages: the offer is nothing short of astounding. Powder seekers have taken notice: it is estimated that about 5,000 skiers and snowboarders visit Murdochville each winter. Of these, an ever-increasing percentage comes from outside Quebec, mainly Ontario and the United States. The number of women is also increasing, thanks in part to White Lips, an introductory trip to off-piste skiing that is 100% female.

La-renaissance-de-Murdochville-A-White-Gold-Empire-Reborn-Whitelips-2018-Fred-Tougas
White Lips. Photo: FRED TOUGAS

Renaissance

Meanwhile, hope has returned to Murdochville: no one is talking about closing the city anymore. On the contrary, it is more a question of rebirth, confirms Delisca Ritchie-Roussy, Mayor of Murdochville. “We have a future again: that means a lot. It’s a blessing that people like Guillaume believed in it; they were few,” she concedes. A sign that good times are on the rise, houses are beginning to recover in value—they are now worth more than three times as much as they were a decade ago. Also, significant investments in the city’s various businesses, such as supermarkets and gas stations, are increasing. The icing on the cake: outsiders buy local pied-à-terre to satisfy their need for powder, bringing their precious capital with them.

Nevertheless, Guillaume Molaison does not consider his mission accomplished. “In the coming years, we will build a huge lodge near Lake York, as those found in western Canada. This will become the place to stay, the gateway for both our winter and summer activities,” he predicts. Looking at his track record, it looks promising.

Excerpted from Vie en montagne, hiver 2020.

Throwback Quebec Style: Q&A with Paul Bride

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