| Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve | |
|---|---|
| Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle | |
 Ernest Lake at dawn | |
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| Location | Papineau Regional County Municipality / Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada |
| Nearest city | Gatineau |
| Coordinates | 46°05′N 75°17′W / 46.083°N 75.283°W |
| Area | 1,628 km2 (629 sq mi) |
| Established | 1971 |
| Governing body | Sépaq |
| www | |
Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve is a reserve in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, stretching across the Laurentides and Outaouais regions.
The area was extensively logged in the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Although logging still continues on a smaller scale, the reserve was created in 1971 to provide outdoor recreation opportunities while favouring wildlife conservation. In harmony with its mandate to ensure the sustainability of resources and to foster the rational use of its territory, the reserve pursues wildlife and fish development activities by setting up spawning grounds, tree groves, interpretation trails, and nesting boxes.[1]
It is named after two historical figures of Quebec: Louis-Joseph Papineau (1786–1871), famous orator and leader of the Patriots of 1837, and Antoine Labelle (1833–1891), pastor of St. Jerome and ardent proponent of the colonization of the Upper Laurentians.[2]
The Montreal Gazette of November 18, 2008, called the Papineau-Labelle Reserve "magnificent" and included it in the 10 hot spots of Quebec's wilderness that "you should experience before you die".[3]
- ^ "Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle presentation". La Sépaq. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
- ^ "Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ^ David Yates (18 November 2008), Quebec's wilderness is amazing, The Gazette (Canwest Publishing Inc.) Online version