VIE EN MONTAGNE PAR/BY MOUNTAIN LIFE - Hiver | Winter 2020

Piste de plaisir She refers to the historic task carried out on October 26 in Ivry-sur-le-Lac near Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts by a handful of passionate volunteers who made it their mission to restore the Maple Leaf Trail. The emotion was noticeable within the small group gathered for the symbolic inauguration of the very first revisited marker, inspired by the heritage markers signed “Jackrabbit”. This event undoubtedly supports the desire to ensure the future of the century-old network and to restore intermunicipal connections, despite the challenges that lie ahead. “The recent closure of the Laurentian Lodge Club in Shawbridge, in which my family has been involved for several generations, has allowed us to create the Jackrabbit Fund, which is the starting point for this project,” says Austin, who adds that her grandfather “passed on his passion to the whole family, including his great-grandchildren! The wonderful collaboration around the revival of this trail is entirely in keeping with his values, his community spirit, his love of nature and the outdoors. I sincerely hope that this is only the beginning and that it will be contagious!” Through the negotiation of rights of way and by using existing trails, the intention is to re-establish, within a few years, an uninterrupted link and to reconnect the villages with each other while remaining as close as possible to the original profile of the Maple Leaf Trail. To do so, a few skilled cross-country skiers from the area gathered around old maps to examine their options. It is certainly an ambitious project, but they are confident that their conviction and perseverance will take them to the end of the road, just as Jackrabbit did in the previous century. Jackrabbit et sa petite-fille Heidi. / Jackrabbit and his granddaughter Heidi.