[lien_bouton link="https://abitibi-temiscamingue.org/activities/arts-culture/" label="Find an activity" color="red"] [lien_bouton link="https://abitibi-temiscamingue.org/activities/lodging-booking/" label="Find a hotel" color="red"]
Jacques Pelletier, master in the art of expression
“When I talk to people who are visiting Vallée-de-l’Or for the first time, the one thing they all comment on is how nice the people are here, and how proud. The people who live here feel a great sense of pride in their community, and that comes through in how they greet you.
There is also a real energy here that drives us to create festivals across the entire region. Whether you’re attending the Foire du camionneur de Barraute or the Festival d'humour de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, you can tell that culture is alive and well here. Culturat has launched many interesting projects. My favourite one is the outdoor photo exhibit along the bike path.
You can't visit this region without taking an interest in its mining history – or at least, it would be a shame if you did! You would miss seeing the impressive log homes of the Village minier de Bourlamaque, or going 300 feet (91 metres) underground to the Cité de l'Or, or visiting the Musée minéralogique and the Canadian Malartic mine, which has a platform overlooking the largest open-pit operational gold mine in Canada.
As a sculptor I find the weathered rock formations and tapering pine trees particularly inspiring, and there are many fascinating places for visitors to discover. The Bell River at Senneterre, for example, is a beautiful place and perfect for hunting and fishing.”
The history of the Vallée-de-l'Or region is closely linked to the development of the local mining industry. The Village-minier-de-Bourlamaque and its log homes, built for the Lamaque mine employees, transports visitors back to Val d’Or’s very beginnings. The nearby La Cité de l'Or takes visitors down into a mine that, in 1938, had the richest gold deposit of any mine in Québec. Stop at the Musée minéralogique de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue and view displays on the region’s geology and mining projects, but remember to spend some time outdoors exploring the region’s breathtaking natural attractions. The outfitters in the Vallée-de-l'Or region can accommodate every kind of hunting and fishing enthusiast.
