Jonathan B. Roy is an adventurer and author who’s cycled the world, amassing nearly 40,000 km in 40 countries. His books, Histoires à dormir dehors, throw light on bike travel and the encounters that shape him. After touring western Montérégie, Jonathan saddled up with his usual globetrotting flair for a three-day bike trek exploring the South Shore. He was accompanied by his cameraman, Yanouk.
By Jonathan B. Roy
La Riveraine is a bike path that links many South Shore municipalities. It runs along parks, quiet districts, and provides amazing views of Montréal. It also leads to a variety of cultural and foodie stops, and camping options too.
Day 1 – Base camp at the RécréoParc
First, I set up basecamp at the RécréoParc in Sainte-Catherine, where Yanouk and I would stay overnight in one of their four ready-to-camps. Open year-round, this vast green recreation park skirts the Lachine rapids and has a beach, boat ramp and trails stretching for kilometres.
After renting a Ballado – a huge quadricycle – from REKCREA, I made for one of the trails together with Mario and Sandra-Michèle from Voyager à Vélo, who, afterwards, went on to pick up my car and drop it off at my final destination so it would be waiting for me at the end of my bike trip. Their vehicle transfer service saved me the trouble of going back to my starting point.
Same day, my cameraman and I headed for Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum, barely 6 km south, in Saint-Constant. Their collection totals nearly 200 vehicles from all eras, station replicas, a rail-bike, and even a miniature railway ride (for children and children at heart) through the forest. Railfans could easily spend the whole day here.
Day 2 : La Riveraine
We mounted our bikes and rode east along the river. After a coffee stop at L’Apostrophe, the La Riveraine bike path took us to the ArchéoMusée Roussillon for a trip down local history via almost 300,000 artifacts. This fun and interactive archeology museum is a treat for adults as well as kids. The archeological-dig-inspired sandbox is an especially big hit. Right next door, at the Société d’histoire de La Prairie-de-la-Magdeleine, we stepped inside a crypt holding the tombs of over 300 parishioners, vestiges of a time when being buried under a church symbolized being closer to Heaven.
Back on the bike path, we rode along the Seaway while watching the cargo ships, and under the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge before reaching Saint-Lambert, where we stopped for well-deserved tapas at the Mexican restaurant El Gordo. We filled our bellies, then resumed riding, pointing our wheels toward the Longueuil marina to admire the view, after which we biked to the Boucherville pier and ferried to Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville.
Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville: Bliss right next door
There is a group of islands in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River, between Montréal and Boucherville, that is virtually unknown. A national park comprising six of the islands was constituted in 1984 as a protected wetland area. Today, the Sépaq offers golfing, kayaking, biking and cross-country skiing in this rich wildlife setting.
You can commute to Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville by car, public transit or Navark shuttle. We chose to pedal on, so we rode the La Riveraine bike path until the Yvon-Julien municipal pier in Boucherville, where my cameraman and I rolled our bikes onto the small ferry. The crossing took seven minutes.
The short ferry ride did not prepare me for the change in scenery. It felt like vacation camp. The Sépaq’s rustic camp contrasted with the shades of green and the touches of red from the watercraft and Adirondack chairs facing the water. The leaves rustled from the wind, the birds chirped – the islands are home to over 260 species – and even the staff seemed happy to be here.
Later, it was story-hour around the campfire. The tales and legends were narrated by Xavier with an actor’s vigour. The children were captivated, and I too laughed more than once!
The premises enjoy numerous camping options, but we opted for a thick canvas ready-to-camp that included everything, except the bedding.
Day 3 : Bike explorers
Next day, while drinking generous amounts of coffee, we were joined by Mathieu, our jovial guide, who would be accompanying us on our cycling discoveries. He explained that the islands have 21 km of multiuse paths of compacted gravel. The network is free of elevation gains and riders can ride from island to island over water, marshland and wooded areas.
From our campsite on Île Grosbois, we started with the longhouse, rebuilt on an Iroquois archeological site. We then made for Île de la Commune, where a small bridge overlooks a floating deck kayakers use to
observe the wildlife.
The scenery unspooled quickly: marshes, undergrowth, intervals with clear sight lines to the river. Other than the crackling of our wheels, it was sheer calm, and you almost forgot the city, even if some Montréal
buildings appeared in the distance on occasion. We finally reached the Tower, one of the discovery stops. Up the spiral stairs to one of the best spots for admiring the migratory birds.
At the end of the day, we headed for our car in the park’s parking lot, where Mario from Voyager à vélo dropped it off on Day One of our trip. It was great to not have to go back to our starting point!
Not only for cyclists
This 8 km2 national park has neither canyons nor wild rivers, but its proximity to the city and its direct access by bike render it a superb nearby getaway spot you can visit and revisit season after season. The
activities and scenery change month to month, and there are bike and watercraft rentals onsite to facilitate the experience.
The trails are easy, accessible, and populated with hikers, joggers, families… but also white-tailed deer, groundhogs, beavers and herons. You quickly get why Sépaq staff love working here!
Jonathan B. Roy’s journey in video – La Riveraine (only available in French)
Jonathan B. Roy’s journey in video – Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville (only available in French)
