Through their humanity, there are some people who leave an indelible imprint on the hearts of those they meet. Obviously, this was the case for Mont-Tremblant resident Alain Reid, country doctor and passionate cyclist – among other things – who passed away five years ago.

Since his passing, at the end of May 2015, people who were close to Dr. Reid have organized an annual cycling event – Le Tour d’Alain – to celebrate his memory, and they hope to mark the fifth annual event in a special way this fall, if circumstances allow.

“Alain was an absolutely exceptional man and it goes without saying that we would remember his time with us, five years later, with a larger-than-usual bike tour,” explains Louis Craig, his long-time friend, in an interview with Tremblant Express.

Another friend and cycling comrade, Jean-Guy Montpetit, fully agrees and adds, “Alain loved cycling and he and his spouse, Françoise Hétu, got my spouse and me interested in bike trips. I will always remember the enjoyment he had in biking beside us and chatting, and particularly, in the post-ride p’tite beer that was a must for him. Alain loved life.”

“He was a real friend,” Yves Bienvenu confides. “As a companion for cross-country-skiing in winter, hikes in the fall and biking in summer, Alain was always ready to take us with him on his adventures. His sense of direction was not great and some of his excursions, which were supposed to take a few hours, took us all day….

… We came home exhausted, but Alain always kept smiling and the following week, he’d have a new idea for new adventures. We traveled thousands of kilometres by bike on the roads in this region, and thanks to him I discovered fabulous spots. He was a nature-lover who lived for his family and loved his work. I miss him.”

Connecting with people

According to his spouse Françoise Hétu, vice-president of Station Mont-Tremblant (resort), Reid the cyclist had a particular fondness for bike trips because they allowed him to discover, gently, countries and their inhabitants.

“He liked connecting with the landscapes and the people,” recounts Madame Hétu, who shared Alain Reid’s life for close to 30 years.

Doctor at La Macaza penitentiary, the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts Hôpital Laurentien and the Station Mont-Tremblant clinic, Alain Reid founded the clinique médicale du Vieux-village de Mont-Tremblant in 2003.

Because there were not enough doctors to keep it going, the clinic survived him briefly and then closed in the summer of 2018.

“I would have liked the clinic to be able to continue its activities because Alain cared about it, and his community, social and local mission meant a lot to him, but it wasn’t possible,” says Françoise Hétu, sadly.

Hundreds of births

In the course of his almost-40-year career, the doctor presided over hundreds of births and cared for thousands of patients in the region. Those with whom Tremblant Express spoke have warm memories of him.

“A consultation with Alain was both a medical and a social experience. He liked people and had a contagious joie de vivre. He always saw the good side of things,” Élaine Marin reminisces, with emotion, noting that a friend had referred her to Dr. Reid soon after she moved to this area 40 years ago.

“Alain was an excellent listener and generous with his time. It’s hard to find a man and a doctor as agreeable and nice as he,” says Louis Craig.

Father of Olympian Charles Reid, and of Julie and Simon, Alain Reid was also an accomplished alpine skier, cross-country skier and hiker. In other words, a real Tremblantois!