Wakefield, Quebec
Wakefieldis one of many villages of the municipality ofLa Pêche,with the village centre on the western shore of theGatineau River,at the confluence of theLa Pêche Riverin theOutaouaisregion of the province ofQuebecinCanada.It is thirty-five kilometres northwest ofOttawa,Ontario.The village, named after the city ofWakefieldinWest Yorkshire,England,is now the southern edge of the municipality of La Pêche, and was founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. Wakefield is approximately a twenty-five-minute drive north of theMacdonald-Cartier Bridgethat dividesGatineauand Ottawa (Ontario), along theAutoroute 5,a modern four lane divided highway which has recently been extended to the village. Wakefield is unique as a primarily Anglophone town in a primarily Francophone province.
History
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The village's primary industry istourism.Attractions in the region include the Gendroncovered bridgespanning the Gatineau River; theWakefield Documentary Film Festival;the Black Sheep Inn (Auberge Mouton Noir), a legendary live music venue; The Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa, a 4-star hotel, restaurant and spa with views of the Maclaren Falls,[1]and Eco-Odyssee, a navigable water maze.
The village provides access points toGatineau Parknear the junction of Route Principale and Highway 5, and also at the Wakefield Mill. During the summer months until 2011, a tourist steam train ran daily from Gatineau to Wakefield via Chelsea along the Gatineau River.
Recreational activities in and around the village includehorseback riding,skiing,snowboarding,snowshoeing,tubing,snowmobiling,dog sledding,golf,canoeing,andkayaking.There is an unsupervised and unofficial swimming area beneath the covered bridge that attracts thousands of people from the surrounding area every summer.[citation needed]
The Wakefield community[2]has a "thriving arts scene".[citation needed]
Grey Owlwas partially filmed here in 1999.[3]
Since 2011 the village has hosted the Wakefield Covered Bridge Run. The Marathon of Health along with the Wakefield community created the running event to raise money for organizations that promote healthy and active lifestyles through sports.
The village has developed a reputation for a somewhatbohemianlifestyle and boasts a number of small cafes, pubs, and galleries. Many young families live in the area, enjoying its lifestyle, services, and resources. Many artists live in the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Public buildings include the Wakefield Memorial Hospital, an elementary school, the MRC des Collines Police Station, the Daycare Centre Éveil de la nature, the Wakefield Retirement Home, and a municipal library. A weekly regionalnewspaper,The Low Down to Hull and Back News(a play on the Gatineau River communities fromLowdownstream toHull), is also published in the village.
Former CanadianPrime MinisterLester B. Pearsonis buried inMaclaren Cemeteryin Wakefield.
See also
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[edit]45°37′59″N75°55′59″W/ 45.633°N 75.933°W
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