Take an art walk along Gatineau’s Sentier Culturel (Culture Trail)

2.8K

When you stroll along the Sentier Culturel (Culture Trail) in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Quebec, you’ll make a surprising discovery: 30-some artworks sprouting out of ponds and sidewalks, mounted on walls, and dangling above creeks.

Well, perhaps it won’t be surprising to you. After all, the City of Gatineau, Tourisme Outaouais and their partners launched the public art project in 2017, so there’s been lots of time to discover it. However—despite my best efforts to keep up with all things touristy in the National Capital Region—I just finally got around to checking it out this year. And I’m glad I did! It’s a wonderful, free way to explore Old Hull and encounter whimsical, intriguing and thought-provoking artworks.

Even if you’ve beaten me to the punch and done the circuit in previous years, don’t hesitate to try it again. Every year, some works are swapped out for new or temporary pieces, so the trail remains fresh.

The three-kilometre walk takes about an hour to do at a leisurely pace, but I did it on a day when the humidex was hovering around 36C, and I stopped frequently to read plaques and take photos. So it took me about two hours, and I ran out of steam before reaching the end. But that’s OK! I still saw lots, and so will you, whether you have half an hour or all day at your disposal. And since there are also lots of places to eat, drink and sightsee along the way, you might well want to make a day of it.

I started near the local tourist office, the Maison du Tourisme (103, rue Laurier). You could pop in there for additional Hull tourism tips before starting out. You could also start your day with a visit to the nearby Canadian Museum of History (100, rue Laurier).

Note: The photo at the top of this post shows C’est la vie, a large mural along the Sentier Culturel by artists Phil Landry and Marin Mitrasinovic.

How to find the Sentier Culturel

Once you start the walk, you can find your way by following these decals on the sidewalk.

You can also look for these red-and-white signs posted along the Culture Trail.

Even with the signage, it can be easy to lose track of the route or to accidentally walk right by an artwork without noticing it (particularly the pieces that require you to look up). So you’ll probably also want to download the City of Gatineau’s free Go Centre-Ville smartphone app. It’s available via Google Play and the Apple App Store, and it includes an interactive map and details about the artworks.

Along the route, each piece also has an explanatory plaque like this one, in French and English.

Finally, if you’d like to leave the navigating to others, you can take a free guided tour. From July 21 to August 28, 2021, they’ll be offered on Wednesdays at 6pm and Saturdays at 10am. You don’t need a reservation, and the family-friendly tours (in French only) last about an hour. Meet at the corner of promenade du Portage and rue Laval.

Now it’s time to give you a taste of what you can see along the Sentier Culturel! I won’t describe every piece I saw, as that would take the fun out of discovering them on your own, wouldn’t it? But here are a few of my favourites.

Les déchets de l’un sont le trésor de l’autre

This striking sculpture of a fawn, by Portuguese artist Bordalo II, is attached to a grey concrete exterior wall of the Palais des congrès de Gatineau on rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville. Its English name is One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure, and it’s literally made of trash—items such as part of an old car grill and broken recycling boxes. The artist wanted to get people thinking about how the products we make and throw away are destroying natural habitats.

Across the street, don’t miss several other works in and around the Fontaine du Parc Portage, including the boat-like multicoloured sculptures in the fountain pond (a work by Mathieu Fecteau called Je t’appellerai bateau-feu bateau-lumière).

Traces

This enormous mural overlooking a parking lot near Place du Portage is impossible to miss. Created by José Guénette, Phil Landry and Marin Mitrasinovic, it features an image of two working-class children from the turn of the last century whose father worked at the E.B. Eddy match plant. The flames near them recall the many devastating fires that raged through Hull around that time.

Arrêt #2564

I’ll candidly admit that I didn’t “get” all the pieces—and that’s OK. One head-scratcher was this plywood box, decorated inside with ersatz office furniture and blueprints, on the bus mall in front of les Terrasses de la Chaudière. Even the English translation on the plaque left me a bit befuddled. Is it an actual plan for an environmentally friendly bus shelter to be built here in the future? Or a commentary on the shortcomings of the current nearby transit infrastructure? Your guess is as good as mine.

Chercher les étoiles dans un botte de foin : le lutin d’écurie

This is a long name for a small sculpture, perched cheerfully on a rock on a lawn near les Terrasses de la Chaudière. According to the plaque, this little elf has apparently escaped from a stable, where he likes to braid the horses’ manes at night.

Passage migratoire

My favourite piece of all was the last one I saw before calling it a day. Pasage migratoire features a fleet of white woven canoes with gaily coloured interiors, strung on wires above Brewery Creek near Théâtre de l’Ile. Brazilian-Canadian artist Giorgia Volpe intended the work to evoke themes of migration and to reflect Indigenous knowledge and Quebec folk tales.

Restaurants near the Sentier Culturel

Since the Culture Trail meanders right through the middle of Old Hull, you’re spoiled for choice if you’re looking for places to eat and drink nearby. Among my recommendations would be the Moroccan specialties at Chez Fatima (125 promenade du Portage), the classic fare and fine wines at Le Cellier (49, rue Saint-Jacques), more wines at Soif Bar à Vin (88, rue Montcalm) and Beau’s beers with an Ottawa River view at the summer-only Terrasse Panorama at the Zibi development (40, rue Jos Montferrand). (Hey, why not combine your cultural excursion with a trip on the new zip line over the Ottawa River, Interzip Rogers?)

PLEASE check the website of any restaurant you’re interested in before heading out, as restaurant hours and policies change frequently these days.

If you go

You can find a basic map, information on the artworks and tours, information on a parallel Poetry Trail along the Culture Trail route, and more on the Sentier Culturel’s page on the City of Gatineau’s website.

Tip #1: Walk the Culture Trail early in the day. Not only will it be cooler, but you may also get a better view of the artworks. Many of them face east, so if you do the walk in the late afternoon on a sunny day (as I did), they’ll be harshly backlit and harder to see and photograph.

Tip #2: Research street parking in Gatineau ahead of time, as spots can be scarce and rules confusing in Old Hull. (I tried for 10 minutes to pay at a meter where a nearby sign said parking was permitted all day during the summer, only for the machine to insist parking was not allowed at that spot from 3pm to 5pm. I finally gave up and parked a few blocks away.)

Better yet, leave the car at home and get there on foot, by bike or by transit (either Ottawa’s OC Transpo or Gatineau’s STO).

Want to make a weekend of it? You can find accommodation near the Sentier Culturel by using the map below. Note that I’ll receive a small commission (thank you!) if you book a place to stay using the map.

Looking for more recommendations for things to see and do in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and beyond? Please subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or pick up my guidebook, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide.