Wachya!

It is with a great pleasure that the mayor, Mr Jean-Claude Beauchemin, welcomes all the people of the Cree communities to Rouyn-Noranda. Around 40,000 people spread out on a territory of 6,638 km2 offer you Rouyn-Noranda as your next destination for distraction, shopping and great food in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region.

For those who travel by car, stop by the Tourist Information Bureau situated at la Maison Dumulon to get a free parking permit valid for three days. If you prefer the plane, the airport is 15 km from downtown Rouyn-Noranda and a taxi service is there to accomodate you.

You will discover a town where everything is orchestrated for your entertainment, rain or shine. Whether you are a fan of cultural or industrial visits, of cinema, bingo, bowling, night life or outdoor activities, there is something for all tastes and all budgets. The little ‘boutiques’ downtown, those of the two malls offer you wonderful souvenirs of your passage in our region.

225 shop owners and professionals from downtown promise you many rebates on their merchandises during their street sale that will be held from July 23rd to the 26th. These will be celebration days accompanied by music in the evenings. Restaurants vary, from little snack-bars to fine dining.

A thrill seeker? Don’t miss the Drag Races at the Circuit au Bosquet on July 19th and 20th, and also in September, the 13th and 14th. Only the rain could postpone the event to the following weekend. We promise some fun for the whole family at the Circuit Abitibi-Karting. The race track for karting is more than 700 meters long and invites you to have a friendly family competition.

Did you know that Rouyn-Noranda is a student’s town? Did you know that the Cree will soon be studying in Rouyn-Noranda? Indeed, the Rouyn-Noranda School Board and the Cree School Board have come to an understanding to the effect that 150 Cree form James Bay will be studying at the Centre Polymétier in the electrotechnic field next autumn. As well, the Université du Québec with it’s principal pavilion in Rouyn-Noranda has in many cree communities classes that lead to an administration certificate and to a bachelor degree in social work. Indeed 40 Cree will receive their diploma in social work in 2003.

When the nice season will be over and winter will arrive, we will still be there to welcome you. In November, an annual snowcross allows you to watch professional competitions of snowmobiles and in February, downtown we gather on the Osisko Lake for the annual Winterfest. We have four arenas in a 10 km area. Events include a prestigious Cree hockey tournament. Our outdoor center at the Mont Kanasuta invite snowmobilers to stop for nice hot meals during their trek.

Give us the pleasure to welcome you in all seasons and give you full satisfaction during your next visit to our beautiful city!

Wachya!

Association Forestière de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue

The Association Forestière de l’Abitibi-Temiscamingue (AFAT), established in 1972 has created a thematic park with an education centre located in the forest. They are on the banks of Lake Johanne. Their mission is to educate and sensitize the public to what’s at stake in the forest industry.

You will find a welcome centre with exposition rooms on the forest theme. The Themes tend to change from time to time. Like this summer you will find a thematic done in association with the Montreal Insectarium. Here you will find tarantulas in their adopted habitat, as well as bug tasting among other things.

There are hiking trails; most of them have a theme with information panels on the trees and plants you find around you. There is a hiking trail with a fauna theme, showing how people can develop a territory without harming the animals too much. Also you will learn methods on how to attract certain species around your house if desired.

What’s interesting about the area is that they are located on the Joanness-Vaudry so the earth conditions change a lot within a small territory, creating very interesting forestry diversity. It’s a wonderful place for hiking with your family. The longest trail is about five km’s. There is also a boardwalk along the water and benches to sit and enjoy the view. There is also a trail that acts as a sort of obstacle course that the kids can enjoy. There’s even a little beach but there is no lifeguard on the premises. There are numerous picnic sites located along the various trails.

There are around 50 km of mountain bike trails situated on what used to be used as a logging trail. People can go in the forest with naturalist guides that will interpret the forest for them, or with a biologist to talk about the animals. It is not necessary to reserve a guide unless you come with a large group. Some animals that can be found in the area include the rabbit, the lynx, the moose, the skunk and various species of ducks.

There is a giant labyrinth made in a sector of very young but very dense spruces, which takes about an hour to make your way through. There is also one for younger kids, same approach but on a smaller scale. In the middle of the forest you can find a mini-putt course where you can play while you learn about the forest guided by your scoring booklet that show all the steps you find in the forestry sector, from the development of the forest to the saw mill.

Also, you can ask to have a special activity put together that would suit your needs, like a workshop on compass & map orientation, which is all free.

You can rent the centre if you’re in a group and want to come for a weekend.

The centre is located at Lake Johanne between Rouyn-Noranda and Val d’Or, roughly 30 km from Rouyn-Noranda. A good way to find out more is to visit the web site at: www.afat.qc.ca

The entrance to the interpretation centre is free. From June 24th to Labour Day weekend. From 10 am to 6 pm.

Another way the AFAT uses to inform the public is the ‘Circuit Touristique Forestier’ which has gathered 35 partners that offer visits to factories, enterprises, research centres and professional formation centres that are linked to the forest in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and Northern Quebec. Everything that is done in the forest can be explained with visual aides.

“Very few Cree have discovered the education centre yet or the ‘Circuit Touristique Forestier’ and we hope to entice you to come and enjoy what we have for you” said Isabelle Lessard from the Association Forestière de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Rouyn-Noranda mall

There is an exciting opportunity in Rouyn-Noranda for Entrepreneurial Eeyou. The promenade de cuivre is offering native business owners, craftspeople, or food vendors free space in the form of a kiosk.

The three day event will run from August 7th-9th, 2003.

One of the organizers of this event, Danielle Roy, hopes to have quite a few kiosks depicting native culture, food, and arts & crafts. She would like to show the people of Rouyn-Noranda what Cree life is all about.

The organizers also wish to entice more Cree consumers to shop at the promenade on a regular basis. There are 40 stores in the mall such as Canadian Tire, Hart, Metro, and L’Equipeur. There are also a large number of boutiques, and a food court.

There is sure to be something for everyone at promenade de cuivre.

An event like this has never been done in the Abitibi region before. It was a huge success in Montreal, and the organizers hope that success comes to the north.

Roy wants to make a ‘Salon Autochtone’ in the mall and give free space and kiosks to the participants. They will also be taking care of all the publicity surrounding the event. The only thing people have to worry about is bringing their stuff to sell. They even provide storage rooms for the vendors.

The Mall can accommodate 40 kiosks in the center aisle, directly under a beautiful atrium. The space is large enough to fit a full size teepee, which is definitely an option, according to Roy.

If everything goes well, there are hopes that this will become an annual event.

This is a great opportunity for any type of business. The promenade de cuivre is frequented by a large number of the 40.000 people in the city. Exposure to a broader audience is sure to make any business more successful.

Native arts and crafts are in high demand in Rouyn-Noranda, especially crafts that can be deemed authentic.

Native food is relatively unknown, yet would be a most welcome addition to this event.

Reservations should be made as soon as possible to ensure a spot.

For more information, please contact Danielle Roy, responsible des Promenade du Cuivre 819-797-1727.