Most Fun places to visit in Mattawa

Tour of Lake Témiscamingue

Lake Témiscamingue, straddling the two provinces of Ontario and Quebec, offers splendid two-or four-wheelers. This magnificent lake is gaining recognition. A passport identifies the accommodations, restaurants, and points of interest along the approximately 445 kilometers (5 hours drive).

Motorbikes and cars travel along the Ottawa River to Lake Témiscamingue. Then the road goes from village to village, with more wooded sections in the southern part of the lake. Examples include Mattawa, a city rich in culture and history, with excellent shops, restaurants, an art gallery and Museum, and Temiskaming Shores, a vibrant community. Note: francophones are present on both sides of the lake!

Aboriginal communities have inhabited this territory for thousands of years. The Lake played a significant role in their trade, and the Europeans made it a privileged route for the fur trade. Today, the Algonquin nations are mainly located near Timiskaming, Long Point, Eagle Village, Wolf Lake, and Temagami and complement the offer.

Where to loosen your legs and take selfies :

The Little Miss Claybelt, the cow that welcomes you in the northern part of Temiskaming Shores
In Mattawa, there are 22 sculptures of historical figures : the famous lumberjack Joe Montferrand, Samuel de Champlain, Grey Owl and Anahareo, a railway worker, a scout, aboriginal, Amable in the Background, a traveller and Radisson, des Groseillers, Brébeuf, Étienne Brûlé, well-known in the history books of New France.

Festivals and events on the road :

The truck rodeo in Notre-Dame-du-Nord from August 2 to 5
The Foire gourmande of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and northeastern Ontario to Ville-Marie from 17 to 19 August
The Blueberry Festival in Temagami in August
The Bonfield fair on August 18 and 19

In the footsteps of the group of seven

Painters of the group of seven visited the North Shore of Lake Superior, Agawa Canyon, Killarney Park, La Cloche mountains and the Cobalt mining area extensively. These graphic artists who worked in the advertising world in Toronto went on an expedition in search of captivating landscapes to be scribbled and then immortalized. A few years from the centennial of this group’s first exhibition, which revolutionized visual art in Canada (which will surely be celebrated with great pomp in 2020), these sites are highlighted by adventurers and art lovers, and then showcased by tourism organizations.

You don’t have to be an art lover to appreciate the beauty of the surrounding landscapes. Pink Granite, white quartz, crystal blue waters: we can understand the fascination of artists for these untouched places that have become mythical.

The work of the group of Seven is a call to adventure in Algonquin Provincial Park (where Tom Thomson, a precursor to the group of seven, died in July 1917), Killarney rural Park and the La Cloche mountains, the French River.

In the Algoma region, explanatory panels on easels are installed so that one can compare the canvases with the decorations that inspired them.

A truly unique experience is also offered from Sault Ste. Marie: here, we take the train to Agawa Canyon. Your car will be much more comfortable than the boxcar borrowed — and activated-by painters! On your return, take time to stop at the magnificent and tiny Algoma Art Museum to admire the works of painters and Norval Morrisseau. You can then head for the shores of Lake Superior. The Algoma tourist region has prepared a map of its signs, which can be consulted here.

Tour of Lake Témiscamingue

Where to loosen your legs and take selfies :

Festivals and events on the road :

Other articles about the Tour du Lac Témiscamingue :

In the footsteps of the group of seven