Wakefield, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Wakefield is a village on the western shore of the Gatineau River
, at the confluence of the La Pêche River
in the Outaouais region of Quebec
. The village, named after the town of Wakefield
in West Yorkshire
, England
, is now the southern edge of the municipality of La Pêche
, and was founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. It is approximately twenty minutes from Ottawa
, Ontario
driving north on Autoroute 5
and Route 105
at Route 366
.
The village's primary industry is tourism
. The main attractions, in addition to a picturesque setting, are the covered bridge
spanning the Gatineau River, the Maclaren Mill built in 1838 and named after an early family
in the region, now restored and operated as the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa and the Black Sheep Inn (or Auberge Mouton Noir, as its sign reads to conform with Quebec
language laws.) The village also provides an access point to Gatineau Park
at Lac Philippe.
Recreational activities in and around the village include horseback riding
, skiing
, snowmobiling, dog sled
ding, golf
, canoe
ing, and kayak
ing. It is also known for having the highest bungee jump
in the Americas
at 61 metres (200.1 ft).
The village has developed a reputation for a somewhat bohemian
lifestyle and boasts a number of small cafes, pubs and galleries. Many young families live in the area, enjoying the lifestyle, services and resources of the area. Many artists live in the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Public buildings include a hospital, elementary school, police station and library. A weekly regional newspaper
, The Low Down to Hull and Back News (a play on the Gatineau River communities from Low downstream to Hull
) is also published in the village. infoWakefield a community-based web portal also serves the online needs of the Wakefield area.
Former Canadian Prime Minister
Lester B. Pearson
is buried in MacLaren Cemetery in Wakefield.
Gatineau River
The Gatineau River is a river in western Quebec, Canada, which rises in lakes north of the Baskatong Reservoir and flows south to join the Ottawa River at the city of Gatineau, Quebec...
, at the confluence of the La Pêche River
La Pêche River
The La Pêche River is a river in western Quebec which flows from La Pêche Lake in Gatineau Park and empties into the Gatineau River at Wakefield....
in the Outaouais region of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The village, named after the town of Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is now the southern edge of the municipality of La Pêche
La Pêche, Quebec
La Pêche is a municipality along both sides of the Gatineau River in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada, about north of downtown Hull. It is part of the Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais Regional County Municipality and comprises the following villages and...
, and was founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. It is approximately twenty minutes from Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
driving north on Autoroute 5
Quebec Autoroute 5
Autoroute 5 is a short Autoroute in the Outaouais region of western Quebec. It connects the central urban area of Gatineau with the recreational areas of Gatineau Park and the exurban rural areas of Chelsea and La Pêche...
and Route 105
Quebec route 105
Route 105 is a north-south highway in Quebec, Canada. It runs from Hull , where it is known as Boulevard Saint-Joseph , to Grand-Remous where it ends at Route 117....
at Route 366
Quebec Route 366
Route 366 is a secondary highway in the Outaouais region of Quebec. It runs from Route 301 near Creemorne in the Pontiac to Route 148 in the city of Gatineau....
.
The village's primary industry is tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The main attractions, in addition to a picturesque setting, are the covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
spanning the Gatineau River, the Maclaren Mill built in 1838 and named after an early family
James Maclaren
James MacLaren was an early settler and entrepreneur in western Quebec.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1818. He came to Richmond in Upper Canada with his family in 1822. The family then settled in Torobolton Township and then moved to Wakefield in Lower Canada in the 1840s...
in the region, now restored and operated as the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa and the Black Sheep Inn (or Auberge Mouton Noir, as its sign reads to conform with Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
language laws.) The village also provides an access point to Gatineau Park
Gatineau Park
Gatineau Park is a park located in the National Capital Region, in Quebec's Outaouais region, just north of Ottawa, Ontario. Administered by the National Capital Commission, the park is a 361 km² wedge of land to the west of the Gatineau River...
at Lac Philippe.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, snowmobiling, dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
ding, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing, and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing. It is also known for having the highest bungee jump
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
at 61 metres (200.1 ft).
The village has developed a reputation for a somewhat bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
lifestyle and boasts a number of small cafes, pubs and galleries. Many young families live in the area, enjoying the lifestyle, services and resources of the area. Many artists live in the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Public buildings include a hospital, elementary school, police station and library. A weekly regional newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The Low Down to Hull and Back News (a play on the Gatineau River communities from Low downstream to Hull
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
) is also published in the village. infoWakefield a community-based web portal also serves the online needs of the Wakefield area.
Former Canadian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
is buried in MacLaren Cemetery in Wakefield.