Just in time for the summer holidays, a magical new world is about to open its doors. From July 11, adventurers, young and old, will be able to dive with their families into the heart of an enchanted forest where elves, fairies and fantastic creatures rub shoulders and bring to life the Bois des Lutins, a unique experience combining enchantment, the outdoors and nature that is already all the rage overseas.
Throughout their adventure, visitors to this new recreational tourism attraction, unique in North America, will navigate through a world where each detour reveals a new surprise. They will discover the mysterious troll village, cross suspension bridges and walkways, climb into tree houses, try to find gems in the mine and learn at the elf school. And for those in search of sensations, the course reserves challenges worthy of their daring: launch into the fairy zip lines, climb the back of the snake or even dare to bounce on the belly of the giant dwarf!
It was time for celebrations at the press conference marking the official opening of the Bois des Lutins, which was held on July 3 in the presence of several dignitaries and project partners. It must be said that the inauguration of this major new recreational tourism destination in Centre-du-Québec is in itself a real fairy tale. The project, which represents a total investment of nearly $4.3 million, was able to garner the financial support of all levels of government, from municipal to federal. The site development work was also completed in less than a year, an impressive feat.
Nothing was left to chance in order to recreate all the magic of the European concept: Extéria was able to count on the expertise of the Bois des Lutins Group to guarantee an immersive and authentic experience in the creation of the very first Bois des Lutins recreational tourism park in North America.
This new site is also in line with Extéria’s philosophy, which is to transmit a passion for the outdoors, while respecting nature. The site’s infrastructures, mainly designed in wood and other natural materials, have been designed to integrate harmoniously into the Drummond Forest Regional Park, while respecting its ecosystem. This new attraction will enrich Extéria’s recreational tourism offering which is already well established and which includes an emblematic aerial adventure course, fatbike and mountain bike trails in the forest and winter slides. Le Bois des Lutins will therefore strengthen the positioning of Extéria d’aventures as an essential recreational tourism destination and will complement a diversified program, accessible to all audiences and for all tastes, twelve months a year.
The Bois des Lutins will be in a running-in period until July 11, before welcoming the general public.
Some quotes “We are proud to offer a unique park in North America which takes shape in the world of the little people made up of elves, gnomes, trolls and fairies living here, in this beautiful forest in the Saint-Joachim sector of Drummondville. Le Bois des Lutins is an activity which now allows children, parents and grandparents to come and have fun together between heaven and earth in tree houses, footbridges, suspension bridges, seas of nets, slides, caves and ground games, but also in the troll mine where it will be possible to find precious stones which have magical powers. Young and old alike will find what they’re looking for at prices that we wanted to be very accessible. »- Mr. Yanik Lefebvre, president of Extéria, terrain d’aventures “I am very happy to see that the financial participation of the Government of Quebec is bearing fruit. Thanks to the work carried out over the past year, Extéria will be able to contribute even better to the recreational and tourism development of our region. The additional offer will certainly be appreciated by families who wish to enjoy the summer season in nature, by encouraging physical activity for children in the forest, a few minutes from the city. Congratulations to the organization for its vision and the completion of the project! »- Mr. Sébastien Schneeberger, Member of Parliament for Drummond-Bois-Francs “The MRC of Drummond is proud of its contribution to this magnificent project. In addition to welcoming the Bois des Lutins to the territory of the Forêt Drummond Regional Park, we have invested a sum of $650,000. This major contribution demonstrates our desire to support promising initiatives that strengthen the attractiveness of the Park and the entire region. »- Ms. Line Fréchette prefect of the MRC of Drummond “Le Bois des Lutins is much more than a new tourist attraction: it is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with nature and create memories with family or friends. This project enriches our recreational tourism offering while generating significant benefits for our local economy. I would like to congratulate the entire Extéria, terrain d’aventures team for having developed a major attraction that fits harmoniously into its environment and which will contribute to making Drummondville shine well beyond our region. »- Mr. Jean-François Houle, mayor of Drummondville