Staying active as an adult in La Petite-Nation, from curling to pickleball

There's no big sports complex in La Petite-Nation. There are school gyms, a couple of arenas, one curling club, tennis courts repainted for pickleball, and walking clubs that head out at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays. Honestly, that's plenty, as long as you know where to look.

Fall is the time. Most activities restart in September or October.

Paddles and shuttlecocks

Pickleball took over here like everywhere else.

• Chénéville: the sports and rec committee opens the Centre St-Félix-de-Valois gym for badminton Mondays and Wednesdays and pickleball Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. The village tennis court doubles as a pickleball court. Info: loisirs@ville-cheneville.com.
• Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk: drop-in pickleball at the Dôme, 299, route des Cantons, Mondays at 1 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. during the summer season. No sign-up, just show up with a paddle. Parc Joseph-Roy has a court too. Info: 819 426-2947, ext. 5.
• Lac-Simon: the town has pickleball, tennis, pétanque and mini-golf.

On the ice

The Thurso Curling Club is at 167, rue Galipeau, right beside the arena. It's the only curling club in our listings for the whole region, so if you've always wanted to try, that's your spot. Phone 819 985-2556, or find them on Facebook.

For adult hockey, we can't name a league with confidence. Easiest route: call the Guy-Lafleur arena in Thurso, or the town of Saint-André-Avellin, which has its own arena. Ice times change season to season.

For outdoor skating, Lac-Simon has a lit rink in the woods in winter. Chénéville, Lac-des-Plages and Fassett have rinks too.

Walking clubs

The most underrated team sport around: the Tuesday morning walk. You'll hear more village news there than at the grocery store.

• Les Sym'Pas de Ripon: Tuesdays at 9 a.m., from the community centre. 873 215-1144.
• Les "Pas" d'amis: Tuesdays at 10 a.m. in the fall, rotating starts from the Saint-Émile or Lac-des-Plages town halls, or from Au Moulin du Temps restaurant in Namur. Carpool outings further afield too, to Montebello, Mont-Tremblant or the P'tit Train du Nord trail. Everyone walks the distance that suits them.
• Lac-Simon: on Wednesday afternoons the town alternates between a coffee meet-up and a group walk followed by coffee. Walks leave at 1 p.m. from the pavilion near the town hall.
• Club de marche La Randonnée in Papineauville, based at 277, rue Papineau.
• Club de marche Entre Amis in Thurso, leaving from the community centre on rue Bourget. 819 985-3684.
• Les 1000 pas in Fassett. Ask at the town office on rue Gendron.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing

When the snow comes, there's no shortage:

• Club de ski de randonnée des Montagnes Blanches, Saint-André-Avellin: about 25 km of ski and snowshoe trails, starting behind the Auberge Petite-Nation at 35, rue Principale.
• Club Skira, Duhamel: more than 40 km of trails around the Papineau-Labelle reserve's Gagnon check-in, groomed by volunteers. The fee was $15.
• Parcours Louis-Joseph-Papineau: 20 km return on stone dust between Saint-André-Avellin and Saint-Sixte, biking in summer and skiing in winter.
• Parc des Montagnes Noires in Ripon: walking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, fat biking. Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk residents get in free.
• Lac-Simon grooms 16 km of ski and snowshoe trails.

The Lac Croche site in Montpellier has more than 30 km of trails and a wood-heated lodge. And a little secret: Montpellier's municipal library lends sports and outdoor gear for free. Before you buy snowshoes, go see.

Golf, bikes and yoga

The Club de golf Héritage in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix has an 18-hole course that opened in 1992. In winter it does cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with rentals on site. The Auberge et Club de golf Héritage is open all year.

For bikes, Traction-Nation in Saint-André-Avellin sells, services and repairs, fat bikes included. Where to ride: the Singer trail in Duhamel (10 km on the old logging railway), the 21 km bike path along the Ottawa in Parc national de Plaisance starting from Thurso, and the Parcours Louis-Joseph-Papineau.

For yoga, Cynthia McCart teaches classes on chemin du 1er-Rang in Ripon.

Dancing, majorettes and gentle fitness

• Viactive, free gentle exercise for people 50 and up: in Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk, Thursdays 10 to 11 a.m. in the municipal hall, fall session October to December; in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at the old presbytery.
• Dance evenings at the Saint-Sixte community centre, October to May. Spots are limited, so book early.
• Majorettes Demoiselles d'Azur in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette: going since 1975, with an adult group as well as the kids. Weekly practices September to May in the École de la Montagne gym. Yes, adult majorettes. Why not.
• Pétanque Wednesdays 10 a.m. to noon at Parc Desormeaux in Lac-des-Plages, weather permitting, with the ASLCLDP. In summer, Val-des-Bois's Les Bons Copains club plays pétanque, horseshoes and bean bags on Tuesday mornings.

Karate, swimming, gym

In Thurso, the karate club teaches in the École Maria-Goretti gym on rue Victoria (819 923-0709). In Papineauville, Les Marsouins swim club uses the municipal pool, and Pop-Gym does gymnastics. These clubs often focus on kids, so ask whether there are adult slots.

Every sports club in the region is in our Community directory. If your beer league isn't there, add it.

ThursoChénévilleSaint-Émile-de-SuffolkLac-SimonLac-des-PlagesSaint-André-AvellinDuhamelNotre-Dame-de-la-PaixRiponPapineauvilleFassettNotre-Dame-de-la-SaletteSaint-SixteMontpellierVal-des-Bois

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