Gray Rocks
Encyclopedia
Gray Rocks was a year-round privately-owned resort in the Laurentian Mountains
of Quebec, Canada, first developed as a ski destination on Sugarloaf Hill (French: Le Pain de Sucre). The ski hill had 22 downhill trails: 4 easy, 10 intermediate, 8 expert (of which 2 were "double diamond"). Also available was a snowboarding park and instruction from the Snow Eagle Ski School.
In warmer seasons, activities included golfing (with two golf courses, which remain in operation), as well as boating on adjoining Lac Ouimet, swimming (in pool or lake), tennis, horseback riding, bicycling, and hiking.
The resort facilities included a 105-room hotel, 56 condominium units, French cuisine restaurant, and spa
.
, won the Bronze Medal for alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics
.
In 1948, Réal Charette, a former World War II winter warfare instructor, became the first Canadian to be appointed a director of a ski school in Canada, the renowned Snow Eagle Ski School at Gray Rocks.
At the end of March 2009, Gray Rocks was closed as both a hotel and ski resort. Only the two golf courses, LaBelle and LaBete remain in operation from May to October. Several owners of the condos previously associated with Gray Rocks have created a vacation home rental operation, Lac Ouimet Rentals, that now operates under the name Village des Soleils.
Laurentian mountains
The Laurentian Mountains are a mountain range in southern Quebec, Canada, north of the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River, rising to a highest point of 1166 metres at Mont Raoul Blanchard, north east of Quebec City in the Reserve Faunique des Laurentides. The Gatineau, L'Assomption, Lièvre,...
of Quebec, Canada, first developed as a ski destination on Sugarloaf Hill (French: Le Pain de Sucre). The ski hill had 22 downhill trails: 4 easy, 10 intermediate, 8 expert (of which 2 were "double diamond"). Also available was a snowboarding park and instruction from the Snow Eagle Ski School.
In warmer seasons, activities included golfing (with two golf courses, which remain in operation), as well as boating on adjoining Lac Ouimet, swimming (in pool or lake), tennis, horseback riding, bicycling, and hiking.
The resort facilities included a 105-room hotel, 56 condominium units, French cuisine restaurant, and spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
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History
Gray Rocks was established in 1905 by George Wheeler, originally of New Hampshire. His granddaughter, Lucille WheelerLucille Wheeler
Lucille Wheeler, CM is a Canadian former Alpine skiing world champion. She was born in Montreal, Quebec.-Biography:Wheeler grew up in the village of Sainte-Jovite, Quebec, in the Laurentian mountains...
, won the Bronze Medal for alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics
At the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, the six alpine skiing events were held from Friday, January 27 to Friday, February 3, 1956.Toni Sailer of Austria won all three men's events to become the first alpine ski racer to win three gold medals in a single Olympics...
.
In 1948, Réal Charette, a former World War II winter warfare instructor, became the first Canadian to be appointed a director of a ski school in Canada, the renowned Snow Eagle Ski School at Gray Rocks.
At the end of March 2009, Gray Rocks was closed as both a hotel and ski resort. Only the two golf courses, LaBelle and LaBete remain in operation from May to October. Several owners of the condos previously associated with Gray Rocks have created a vacation home rental operation, Lac Ouimet Rentals, that now operates under the name Village des Soleils.