“Lots going on in Mont-Tremblant,” says the mayor straight away, referring to the many projects underway and to come. Whether it’s acquisition of the legendary Gray Rocks mountain, of the Beach and Tennis Club, of a piece of land located on the Diable River beside the Domaine Saint-Bernard, of projects to remake a building, or of cultural activities, Mont-Tremblant is bubbling.

The fabulous adventure of Gray Rocks

Let’s look first at the recent acquisition of the Gray Rocks mountain. You may remember that last February, the municipal council of Mont-Tremblant adopted a by-law permitting it to take advantage of a new right of first refusal accorded by Québec to municipalities in June 2022. During this same session, the council made subject to this right of first refusal, two of the lots – which together add up to 737,823 square metres – of the mountain of the former Gray Rocks resort.

Henceforth, the City will thus have the right of first refusal on properties previously selected by resolution. In the event of the deposit of a firm offer to purchase one or the other of these lots, the City has 60 days to decide whether to purchase one or both lots for sale by equalling the price offered.

The goal is to “acquire certain immovables or lands that can be used for the benefit of the community, notably to carry out projects […] related to lodging, the protection of natural milieux, the establishment of public, cultural recreational or community facilities,” says the City via communiqué.

“We are starting to be concerned,” explains Mayor Brisebois. “We have done studies on the support capacity of lakes and watersheds to find out to what point it’s possible to continue development on our lands. When something is built, it’s done more often on soft ground rather than bedrock, and the sediments run off more easily, because they are no longer held in place.”

New outdoor centre

This green space newly acquired by the City will be for outdoor recreation. A non-construction servitude has been instituted – like that for the land located beside the Diable River previously mentioned – but will, however, allow the redoing of an existing building and the building of relay stations and huts that can serve a future network of trails. A beach on Lac Ouimet is also in the plans.

“It will be another gem like the Domaine Saint- Bernard,” Mayor Brisebois says. “We want, before anything, to ensure a lasting quality and that this magnificent area be accessible to everyone. We’re thinking of trails for walking, cross-country skiing, and – why not? – mountain biking. We can get to the four corners [Ed. note: At the corner of Montée Ryan and the Rue Labelle] to join up with the existing trails. We even have an agreement with Mr. Boivin who owns the airport to evaluate the possibility of allowing access to the Domaine by trails. We’ll see if it can be done.”

“There’s a beach, too,” the mayor explains. “We have access to it. We will, however, make sure to respect all the by-laws and to consult the lake association. We envisage a smaller beach than that of Lac Mercier. Quietly and peacefully, we are trying to provide the general public with access to the lakes of the region,” he concludes.

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