Top 3 Abandoned Places In La Region Des Laurentides

There are so many abandoned places in La Region Des Laurentides! This is a list of the top three abandoned places in La Region Des Laurentides. Browse through all abandoned places in La Region Des Laurentides

1. Cascades d'Eau Piedmont

Opened in 1982, the Cascades d'eau Peidmont, then Quebec's oldest water park, closed its doors in 2010 when the owners, Mont Saint-Saveur International, decided to consolidate their operations at a nearby park they also owned. Some of the newer slides were moved to this park, while the others, older and at the end of their service life, were dismantled. Many of the rides are visible in available Streetview and Google Earth views from 2011 through 2013.

Today, it is a different story. Gone are the giant slides, the iconic faucet - once visible from Highway 15, the change rooms and canteens, the sounds of laughter and the splashes of water. What remains are the paths - trees making a home in the cracked asphalt, the pools, filled with scummy water and debris, the infrastructure - destroyed and useless, painted tiles where change rooms once stood, a massive parking lot and a genuine sense of isolation and loneliness.

The land was sold in 2013 for $3.55M to real estate developers. Given the area is zoned only for an aquatic park (which, upon reflection, might seem just a bit too specific), it is little wonder the land remains in this state some three years later.

There were two sections to the park, joined by a long driveway. We only got to the lower one on this visit. There is a chained gate at one entrance and concrete blocks prevent access at the other. Flooding added as a hazard as there is some rather nasty water in the pools and OAP may make a visit someday...:-)

2. Ottawa River Military Canals

The War of 1812 caused a number of things. Most importantly, it resulted in a victory celebration. There were also some more durable (as if a rocking hangover isn't durable) results. We Canadians are smart folks and we kinda figured the Americans would some day be militarily superior to us (we still await that day but, admittedly, they have closed the gap...:-)). So, we also moved our capital to Ottawa and set about building the infrastructure needed to support this objective. Despite the National Capital Commission's assertion that it is the best thing...EVER...in Ottawa, more practical projects included the building of two canals to supply the newly important and growing, yet isolated city...errr.....town. (Many Canadians and all Ottawans would argue Ottawa is still in the middle of nowhere and, frankly, as I don't actually live in the city, who am I to argue?).

The first of these (by a year), the Rideau Canal, is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a wonderful place to skate.... before and after a couple of wobbly-pop(s). The second canal, or rather series of canals, are much less well known. (well, I didn't know anything about them until we drove over the Grenville Canal and I opined..."what the He** is that?". ). So, I did what all OAPers do in these situations....I drove away, came back about two years later and said to myself "Self, you have a camera this time and the race doesn't start until 1300, soooooo.....".

Matthew Farfan provides a great overview in his article [u]Military Canals of the Ottawa River[/u], the first link provided below. This an excellent read on the canals, their architecture, their shortcomings and their evolution to their current status. I understood it, so I know you'll all be fine.

The GPS coordinates provided are for the Grenville Canal. Unless you own SCUBA equipment, the Chute-à-Blondeau Canal is no longer visitable. The GPS coordinates for the Carillon Canal (which IS a National Historical Site...just sayin') are 45.567145, -74.376071.

As mentioned above, the Chute-à-Blondeau Canal is no longer with us and the Carillon has Parks Canada (and a still functioning lock) to support it. The Grenville Canal is a different story. According to "Heritage Canada" (which, despite its federal sounding name, is a charity - albeit with the Governor-General as a patron):

"[b]Overwhelmed by the high costs of restoration and maintenance, the small Village of Grenville, Québec, is pleading for a rapid intervention that would ensure the survival of its heritage canal. Currently suffering from an advanced state of dilapidation, the canal has great tourism potential but is severely under funded."[/b] The complete story from them is available at the second link. You can't even park on canal land (is that an oxymoron?) without a permit....available, you guessed it, at City Hall. So, at least they're trying. And, no, I didn't buy one. (City Hall was closed).

3. Mont Tyrol

Situated in the Laurentides region of western Quebec, Mont Tyrol opened in 1955. Like many of the smaller ski resorts in the area, Mont Tyrol prospered and, in turn, brought some measure of prosperity to its local community. Also like many of the smaller "mom and pop" ski resorts, it could not keep up with larger resorts and their amenities and technological advantages. Mont Tyrol was somewhat unique in that it attempted to maintain year round activities by operating a water park. However, despite a couple of attempts at rejuvenation, Mont Tyrol finally closed shop in the late mid-2000s.

What remains is the outline of one the ski runs, its lighting, the skeletal remains of a ski lift, some "chalets" and the water park itself. The latter has found a new lease on life as one of the larget water slides is now being used a ski jump practice run. The skiers "land" in some remarkably ugly looking water that makes that of the Rio Olympics looks downright pristine. There was an instructor and a number of students using the facility during our visit. The sound of them hitting the water, skis down, would do credit to the sound made after one of my belly flops.