Cycling getaway in Sorel-Tracy

Some 65 km along the Richelieu and the St. Lawrence River, interspersed with conversations and photos!

Article originally published on August 30, 2021.

The day's itinerary, approximately 65 km from Sorel-Tracy.

My sweetheart and I made landfall in Sorel-Tracy after a short and pleasant crossing of the river from St-Ignace-de-Loyola.

Our itinerary for the day (see the Google Maps link) is a mix of the different cycling options offered by Tourism in the Sorel-Tracy region, namely that of the Richelieu and that of Rivers and rural charms.

From the agglomeration of 35 inhabitants, it will only take a few pedal strokes to reach the peaceful nature of the La Sauvagine bike path. Beginning in the city center, the asphalt and very rolling path is built on an old railway line and is part of la Route verte since 2012.

The track runs in a straight line east for a dozen kilometers. Trees enclose it on either side and refresh the many cyclists, walkers and skaters who use it. A sweetness that we welcome with joy at the start of this scorching day!

Decorate the tree like the Germans

We then return to the official starting point of the La Sauvagine trail: the House of Governors. This was built in 1781 and was first used to house German mercenaries who came to reinforce the British during the American War of Independence.

At Christmas of the same year, the wife of the German major-general transposes here the Germanic medieval tradition by erecting the first Christmas tree in Canada, and even in North America. Behind the house, a metal sculpture representing a fir tree today recalls this era.

After the War of Independence and the departure of the Germans, the house served as a summer residence for governors and as resting places for dignitaries traveling between Montreal and Quebec. From 1860, the house passed into the hands of a few private owners, until it was purchased by the city of Sorel in 1921. It was declared a national historic site of Canada and a heritage building in 1957.

Today, the building's four bedrooms have been opened into large rooms that house exhibitions as well as a tourist information office for the Sorel-Tracy region.

The house of the governors of Sorel-Tracy.

The metal shaft is reminiscent of the first German occupants.

Outside the house is a small park from which you can admire the Richelieu River. You can also listen to five historical capsules of a few minutes and contemplate an exhibition of photographs that changes every year. 

The tourist center is also a stopover for cyclists. There is water and toilets inside, and a bicycle repair line outside. It is also possible to picnic there.

A historical podcast in a few steps is available near the house.

A beautiful photo exhibition is currently installed around the house.

O Sole Mio

After our visit to the House, we embark southbound on the Chemin des Patriotes until Campsite Marina Bellerive. The establishment on the edge of the Richelieu dates back to the early 1960s. It now has no less than 300 campsites and a marina that can accommodate around XNUMX boats. We stop at the restaurant with a view of the river, where I stay in the nautical theme by ordering a filet of sole!

St-Ours Farm

Barely a few kilometers further on, we meet Nathalie Desrosiers, behind the counter of the boutique at the St-Ours Farm, which is open daily. Our conversation stretches through a variety of topics. The farm is the largest producer of organic eggs in Canada, with over 120 layers just where I left off. These roam free and lay eggs for a year, an eternity compared to the 000-day lifespan of "broilers".

Nathalie has been working with chickens and collecting eggs since her youth. I learn that rotisserie chickens are slaughtered at a weight of just 5 or 6 pounds when they can reach up to 14 pounds if left to live longer. But those turkey weights would be too big on quarter or half chicken plates. And it's more complicated to cut a big thigh in half to make an “eighth chicken” meal.

The farm also includes a maple grove, and Nathalie also gives us a taste of her delicious flower-shaped maple donuts. “Donuts, I have tons of copies! Laughs the one who cooks it several times a week by hand. We recognize in their shape a poinsettia during the holiday season, or more commonly a sunflower.

The St-Ours farm is also known for its immense fields of the enormous yellow flower, from which oil is drawn, and where hundreds of tourists meet in mid-August, eager for colorful photos and rural. We hit the road with several products in our bags.

In the company of Nathalie Desrosiers, in front of Ferme St-Ours.

Nathalie's floral donuts.

The Larivière ferry

In St-Ours, we take the very short cross approximately 300 meters towards Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu. The owner, Martin Larivière (it can't be invented!), Explains that his family has been bringing people through for 5 generations. It was his great-grandparents who, more than 100 years ago, first established the crossing point here.

The boat is motorized but is guided by a rope attached to both shores. Martin must therefore always keep an eye out for boaters who arrive too quickly and too close to the boat.

A exhibition at the Maison de la culture de Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu was created a few years ago thanks to all the archival images and memories of Martin and his family.

Back

After an ice cream and a slush at Cantine St-Roch, we reach the wide and silky shoulder of Route 132 to descend the river towards Sorel-Tracy. After a short stop at Grèves regional park, we take route 223, again along the Richelieu and where we meet some other cyclists, to return to take the ferry to our starting point. To end this day, the sky is colored with a magnificent orange which sparkles on the red hulls of the freighters on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Route 132 in front of Île Saint-Ours in Contrecoeur.

Route 223 along the Richelieu is popular with cyclists.

Under the tall trees of the Parc régional des Grèves.

End of the day on the Saint-Laurent, in front of Sorel-Tracy.

This post was sponsored by Tourism Sorel-Tracy region.