| Ferry approaches | Traversier pulling ferry barge |
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Roger Kenner
Montreal, Qc,
Canada 2003
Foreword
I first rode west along the Hudson shore on a ride of discovery in 1993, a ride which took me as far as Carillon. While I returned by car several times, it was not until I first made the Oka Tour (1997) that I revisited Hudson. After 1998, I would come by this way again in the Fall of 2002.
| Ferry approaches | Traversier pulling ferry barge |
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16:00 was when I had finished my lunch and boarded the ferry. As I crossed the lake I looked back towards the church at Oka, receeding from me and giving way to wider and wider views of the mountain behind. I looked upriver, in the direction whence I had come back when I overnighted at Carillon. I looked out upon the Lake of Two Mountains, where dozens of sailboats were skitting back and forth under the sunshine. I looked towards the Hudson shore as we approached, seeing the vast estates which are hidden from the road.
Last year, the first year that I came this way, the morning had been very, very foggy. The sky had cleared only as I was crossing the ferry. By an hour later, a huge, black cloud had formed over the lake and a violent storm came wafting in, catching me in the open along the Senneville shore.,,
| Ferry on lake | Ferry barge closeup |
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| Looking upstream along Ottawa River, towards Carillon | Sailing on Lake of Two Mountains |
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| Looking back on Oka | Approaching Hudson terminus |
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16:15 I reached the Hudson shore. To go into the town of Hudson, I would have had to turn left (west) and ride for a couple of miles. (I did this last year, and had lunch in Hudson.). This year, I decided it was already getting late and that I should be heading home. I turned left (east) and headed towards Montreal.
The lakeshore road in Hudson was a quiet, country road with few cars. Most of the traffic from the ferry turned away from me, towards Hudson and the access to Hwy 40. Along the lake side of the road were large, country houses, set back amidst enourmous grounds. Often I saw only the gate of the estate, the house being hidden behind the trees. The landward side of the road was so totally different, it could have been another place altogether. All along the way was lined with farmer's fields, interspersed with the occasional farm houses and barns. Where the fery came in was almost at the edge of the hills amidst which sits town of Hudson sits. I was soon into the flatlands.
| The road in Hudson | Farms to the land side |
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Soon after I crossing the line into the town of Vaudreuil-Dorion, the road started around a vast cove. At this point the road ran right next to the water, atop an embankment of perhaps thirty feet. The landward side was lined with a single thickness of houses, behind which the farmer's fields continued, stretching off in the distance towards the uplands that were about a mile away.
| Water to the river side, approaching cove | Road curves around cove, right by water |
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I stopped at a certain point and looked back on Two Mountains across the lake. With my field glasses, I could easily make out the beach at Oka Park, still packed with humanity. High up on the hill, above the beach, I could make out the Trappist Monastery.
| Looking north to Oka Beach and Two Mountains | Closeup of beach and monastery (binoculars) |
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As I neared the end of the cove, modern, ticky-tacky houses replaced the farmers' fields as the backdrop for the shoreline houses. Then, suddenly, the road turned a curve and I was abruptly out of the country and into suburbia. (I remember how surprised I was as the abruptness of the change, in reverse, when I made my first trip this way.)
| Looking west on Hwy 40, towards Ottawa |
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I rode the shoulder of the broad St. Charles Boulevard, past the research complex whose building was the one, lone high-rise, and then up over the Hwy 40 overpass. I paused atop the bridge to look both ways. Away from the city, one could see the houses of suburbia sprouting up where only fields had been just a few years before. Towards the city, the main landmark was the Chateau Veudreuil.
| Country road comes into civilisation in Vaudreuil | Looking on, south towards town of Vaudreuil |
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I continued on, coasting down from the overpass and riding through the suburban section of Vaudreuil, which was not too interesting. As I began to ride along the water's edge, around the baie de Vaudreuil, a marked bike path began on the northbound side of the road. I crossed over to it and followed it until it ended all too soon at a city park and cultural centre. I could look back across the bay and see the Ile aux Tourtes bridge and lots of flowers.
17:25 was the time when I made a brief stop at the cultural centre to get some literature
| Bike Trail, along road leading to Dorion | Looking north to Ile aux Tourtes bridge, from Vaudreuil |
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The bike path vanished as soon as one came into what was the town of Dorion. I crossed back over to my side of the road and continued along until the road curved away towards an underpass beneath the railroad tracks. I continued straight along what was now a tiny sidestreet, until I came to a small pedestrian tunnel that crossed under the railroad tracks. Between the tracks was a small, quaint community of a dozen or so houses and a couple of small streets. Everything there seemed like it was from another era. I exited this haven through the second pedestrian tunnel and came out at the main road, which would become Hwy 20.
17:40 and I was headed east along the Hwy 20. Thankfully, the busy road had a nice, wide shoulder. At the first bridge, over to Ile Perrot, there was a bike path separated from the roadway. I paused at the top of the span and looked out over the shoreline to the south.
On my overnight ride to Lancaster in 1992, I had gone along that coast by bike. It leads to the old Solange Canal and what Alex refers to as the "Anchor Park". I've been there many times by car, of course. It passed by that way again in 2001, on my way to Toronto and Niagara Falls. In 2002 I came up the opposite way, completing a South Shore tour to Valleyfield.
| Bike Trail, over bridge from Dorion to Ile Perrot | Ottawa river, looking south from bridge (Note) |
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Coming down off the bridge onto Ile Perrot, the bike path emties onto a small road that runs behind the Canadian Tire shopping centre. (This small road is the road around the island. I first came up that way once by car, following my visit to Quinn Farm, but have subsequently gone that way by bike). Normally, I would ride around in front of the shopping centre to get to the intersection, wait for the light, and then ride up the entrance ramp to get back onto Hwy 20.
This time, though, I decided I would try to find the alternate route across the top of the Island that I knew existed, for my friends Claudia and Gilbert had told me about it. Instead of taking the ramp, I continued under the highway and went north into Terrasse-Vaudreuil. At the far side of the underpass was a small section of bike path or sidewalk to ride on, which joined the small road at a level crossing over the tracks. I rode down the other side and east along the residential streets, shadowing the train tracks. I went for quite a ways, easily half-way, and I was building up hope that there simply had to be an exit at the other end. Alas, I came to a dead end at a line of houses, backed by tall trees. I could see no way to continue, and so had to backtrack all the way. (I would later learn that I had missed the through road by just a few blocks. It was the road along the shoreline, which I would successfully find later by approaching it from the east.)
Returing to the level crossing, I was lucky enough to catch the Rigaud commuter train on its run into town.
| Commuter train at Terrasse Vaudreuil | Train pulls away |
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| Less than interesting stretch along Hwy 20 in Ile Perrot |
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I went back under the underpass and turned up the entrance ramp and joined Hwy 20. While the highway has a nice wide shoulder for bicycles, the ramp itself is quite narrow and riding up it with cars whizzing by was quite harrowing.
I rode along the highway across the northern tip of Ile Perrot. When I saw a tourist info kiosk on the far side, I took the time to cross the road and ask whether there was another crossing. Looking on the town map, she found it for me. (Of course, I have such a detailed map. I should have brought it with me!)
I crossed the second bridge, onto the Island of Montreal and into Ste. Anne de Bellevue. On this bridge, one has to ride on the sidewalk of the old bridge. There is a segregated bike path on the far side of the new bridge, which I took it once, but the access is difficult as one has to face the oncoming traffic until one reaches the protected lane. Had I found my way through Terrace Vaudreuil, I might have been able to take it. (The old bridge takes the highway eastbound and the new bridge takes it westbound.)
| Bridge from Ile Perrot to Ste. Anne de Bellevue | Ottawa river: Looking south from Bridge |
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I stopped at the top of the bridge to watch all the boats waiting for their passage through the locks below the bridge.
| Ste. Anne de Bellevue: Boats waiting for locks | Waterfront at Ste. Anne |
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19:45 was when I rode down into Ste. Anne de Bellevue. As it was late, and the boardwalk was very crowded, I decided to just ride along main street and head home.
| Ste. Anne main street | House from yesteryear, nestled along main street |
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At the edge of town, a short bike path leads across the campus of Macdonald College. I escaped the traffic for a ways by riding across the green campus, strewn with trees.
| Bike trail across Macdonald campus | Trail's end at Baie d'Urfe |
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The short bike path comes to an abrupt end at the Town of Baie D'Urfe' line. Across Baie D'Urfe', one had to ride along Lakeshore boulevard, which is quite narrow. Still, there was not much traffic. There were lots of nice houses to look at and lots of trees to make the ride feel relaxing. The Lake was always in the background. I rode through a large park as one I rounded the cove from which the town derives its name. At the far end of the park is the quaint Town Hall, an interesting sight.
| View of Lac St. Louis, from Baie d'Urfe | Baie d'Urfe town hall |
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At the edge of Baie' D'Urfe', as one enters Beaconsfield, there is a fork in the road. The main road goes to the left and becomes Beaconsfield Boulevard, which is not a very interesting way to go. The fork to the right follows the old Lakeshore Boulevard, along quite a number of quiet residential blocks. It is one way the opposite way, but the town had painted a bike path along half the road's width (A secret one, I might observe. There is no indication or signs leading to it. When coming from the east, it is easy to miss.)
| The parting of the ways in Beaconsfield | The 'Secret' bike trail in Beaconsfield |
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At a certain point though, the quiet road and bike path come to an end and one must turn left and ride up to Beaconsfield Blvd. For a mile or so, there is no choice but to follow this main road, as nothing more to the lakeward goes through.
Only when on reaches St. Charles Road can one can turn right again and resume following the old Lakeshore Blvd. Where St. Charles Road ends at lake, there is a very nice, quiet waterfront park.
| Waterside park in Beaconsfield | Looking south across Lac St. Louis |
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| Pointe Claire | Looking towards Church at Pointe Claire |
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| Church at Pointe Claire |
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When this stretch of Lakeshore Blvd once again rejoins Beaconsfield Blvd, it is at the eastern edge of Beaconsfield. One soon enters the old time village of Pointe Claire. I tried to get some good shots of the historic church, but none not turned out.
I rode out to the point to get a look at the lake. Though my binoculars I could see a freighter crossing the lake. Looking east, I could make out the Mercier Bridge, which could hardly be seen with the naked eye.
| View east from Pointe Claire |
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| View east w binoculars: see Mercier Bridge | Freighter on lake, thru binoculars |
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I rode on. Soon I was rounding Valois Bay. Valois Bay curves far inland, to the point where Lakeshore Blvd is almost right next to Highway 20 for a few blocks. Then it curves back out.
| Looking towards head of Valois Bay | View east across Valois Bay to Dorval Island |
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On the far side, as one goes by Sources Road, one enters the town of Dorval. Dorval has a nice lakeside park at that point.
| Waterside park in city of Dorval | City of Dorval, on east side of bay |
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20:30 was the time when I got to Dorval, and I stopped at the park to watch the sunset over Valois Bay. The church in Pte. Claire was now a very distant landmark.
| Looking west, back to Pointe Claire (see steeple) | Sunset over Valois Bay |
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The sun having gone down, I was racing home so I would not have to ride too much in the dark. I rode across Dorval in about 15 minutes, and got onto the bike path which starts at the Lachine line. I reached the old lighthouse in Lachine and called home to give my 30 minute warning, so that Sheryl could order the take out.
I took the inland bike path, which starts right next to the Dairy Queen. Since I had discovered this path the previous year (1977), I had used it a lot. It easily shaves ten minutes off the trip. It follows what was once a rail line down through the centre of Lachine.
I came out at the end of Notre Dame, rode through Ville St Pierre, up the hill into Montreal West, and along Sherbrooke to Monkland.
21:30 was the time I got home. I had ridden for 13 hours. It had not a fast day. I've done this route in far less time. But it was an intersting day, as I made constant stops.
August, 1998; Revised, June 2003
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