Summer in La Petite-Nation, from beaches to Wednesday night shows

In summer, La Petite-Nation doubles in size. Cottages fill up, campgrounds are full in July, and the villages haul the lawn chairs out in front of the church. We get three months to do everything, and we really try.

Yes, it's fall while you're reading this. But campsites book up early, and there's nothing wrong with daydreaming about a lake while the leaves come down. Here's summer in La Petite-Nation, June to August. Where we have a more detailed guide, we link to it along the way.

Lakes and beaches

Lac Simon is the heart of summer here. On the Duhamel side, Sépaq's Centre touristique du Lac-Simon has about 2 km of sand beach. At the other end, the Lac-Simon municipal beach has three lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free parking, and self-serve kayaks you book from your phone. After a swim, the Lac-Simon snack bar and the Parc de l'Amitié mini-golf are steps away.

Further out, there's Lac de l'Argile in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, and the Air-Eau-Bois outdoor centre, on Poisson Blanc since 1972. If you're a serious swimmer, the Lac Simon crossing is 11.5 km, from the Sépaq beach to the village beach, on a Saturday in early August. There are shorter distances and a family relay too.

Go deeper: where to swim in La Petite-Nation and where to canoe and kayak.

Markets

Saturday morning means Ripon. The Place du Marché market runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Patriots' Day weekend to Thanksgiving: vegetables, lots of organic, local makers and brunch at the café-bistro. It's where the whole village runs into each other.

In Bowman, the public market sets up in little cabins in Parc du Centenaire, Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon, June to late August, with a covered play area for kids. And in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, the Salette market runs on Fridays with about ten vendors.

The full schedule is in farmers' markets in La Petite-Nation.

Festivals

July belongs to Saint-André-Avellin. The Western Festival runs eleven days, mid- to late July, with pro rodeo and shows under the big top. August is the busiest month: Festival Twist and its wool and fibre vendors at the Complexe Whissell on the second weekend, Petite Nation en fête in Thurso for four nights in mid-August, then Val-des-Bois en musique, three nights at the end of the month. The Namur lumberjack festival lands in late July or August.

Dates go up as they're announced in the summer festival calendar.

Free outdoor shows

The real luxury of summer here is that you can catch a show almost any night without opening your wallet.

• Wednesdays, Mercredis en musique in Parc Henri-Bourassa, Papineauville, at 7 p.m., July to late August. A different style every week.
• Thursdays, Jeudis relax on the church grounds in Chénéville, late July and early August, with a bar on site.
• Sundays, Dimanches en musique in front of the Montebello church at 1 p.m., mid-July to late August.
• Saint-André-Avellin has its summer evenings: djembe in Parc des Générations, a few 7 p.m. concerts and outdoor movies at 9 p.m.
• Thurso has music nights at Place du Citoyen a few times a month.

For indoor shows all year: where to see live music.

Ice cream and patios

La Crémerie 321 in Saint-André-Avellin does soft-serve, hard ice cream and slushies in a fully renovated house. In Thurso, Les Délices d'Alice on rue Victoria has ice cream, sorbet and gelato. In Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, Crèmerie Café Notre-Dame makes its gelato on site. Les Mignardises in Papineauville has an artisanal ice cream counter and a patio. And in Val-des-Bois, Babine serves pies and ice cream from May to late October.

For summer snack bars and patios: Casse-croûte au Casseau in Fassett, for the poutine with the secret sauce. Le Flasher in Val-des-Bois, where you can pull up by car or by boat. Le Zouk in Montebello, a log pub with a big patio and local beer.

Camping

There's something for every style. Parc national de Plaisance has 150 sites, yurts and ready-to-camp units along the Ottawa River. Camping au Petit Lac-Simon has 291 sites and is packed in July, which is kind of the point. The Saint-André-Avellin campground is right in the village, and its canoe rental is open even if you're not staying there. For a no-frills stay, Camp Ozanam in Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk is run as a charity.

Our campground guide covers them all.

Cycling

The Cycl-O-Route loop is 87 km: cross into Ontario on the Thurso ferry, then come back on the Québec side through the national park, Papineauville and Montebello. Parc national de Plaisance has more than 40 km of flat trails, and the Thurso sector follows the Ottawa River for 21 km. In Duhamel, the family bike path runs 10 km along the old Singer rail line, and the town lends out bikes. For mountain biking, Montebello Vélo de Montagne has 30 km on Papineau's old seigneury lands.

Our full route: the road-bike day from Thurso to Saint-André-Avellin.

Fête nationale

On June 23 or 24, almost every village throws a Saint-Jean party. It ranges from Saint-André-Avellin, the biggest town in the MRC, to the come-as-you-are potluck in Boileau, where musicians bring their instruments. Each village's plans are in Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in the villages.

Family days

When the kids are done with the beach: Parc Oméga and its elk, the Manoir-Papineau, open Wednesday to Sunday in summer, the splash pad at Parc Mike-Parisien in Papineauville from June to early September, or the pirate ship at the Lac-des-Plages municipal park, with a pump track for older kids.

We've built two ready-made days: our perfect summer day and a family day with kids.

Before lighting a fire at the cottage or campsite, check the SOPFEU danger rating and call your municipality. A fire ban can come down any time in summer.

For cottage owners

Cell service doesn't reach everywhere, so on the lake or in the woods, tell someone where you're going. Weather alerts, fire bans and river levels are on our Conditions page. Ecocentres and pickup schedules vary by municipality, and it's all in the practical guide.

Lac-SimonDuhamelLac-des-PlagesNotre-Dame-de-la-SaletteBowmanRiponSaint-André-AvellinPapineauvilleMontebelloChénévilleThursoNamurVal-des-BoisPlaisanceFassettNotre-Dame-de-la-PaixNotre-Dame-de-BonsecoursBoileau

Sources (20)

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• montebellovelo.com/
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/camping-au-petit-lac-simon/
• campingaupetitlacsimon.ca/
• val-des-bois.ca/entreprises-et-attraits-touristiques/attraits-touristiques/plans
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/lieu-historique-national-du-manoir-papineau/
• petitenationoutaouais.com/pour-une-promenade-culturelle/
• peche.faune.gouv.qc.ca/RegPec/fr/Info/Reglements?Id_Zone=10
• peche.faune.gouv.qc.ca/RegPec/fr/Exporting/ExportGrillePdf?idZone=10&idSaison=22
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/cycl-o-route-de-la-riviere-outaouais/
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/stations-de-reparation-de-velo/
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/camp-ozanam/
• st-emile-de-suffolk.com/commerces
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/plage-municipale-de-lac-simon/
• mrcpapineau.com/portrait-de-la-mrc/thurso/
• petitenationoutaouais.com/attraits/base-de-plein-air-air-eau-bois/
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• villages-relais.qc.ca/fr/village/val-des-bois/

The facts in this story come from the linked listings, checked against these sources.

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