Come check out Wakefield’s new waterfront!  Our local Chamber led its  redevelopment over the past year with funding from all levels of government. Now you can stroll or bike along the entire river in Wakefield.  The centrepiece is a magnificent new boardwalk – experience the view on one side and then check out all the shops, restaurants and attractions on the other.  There’s also a wonderful new dock from where you can kayak, canoe, stand-up paddle board – or just sit and relax.  Hey, we have them available for you to borrow at Les Trois Erables!  Hope to see you soon.  Shana

It is truly a winter wonderland here at Les Trois Erables.  Cold and snowy outside, warm and inviting inside.  Whether you seek an outdoor outing of some kind or indoor relaxation, or both, we really do have it all here.  Music, dining, shopping and more in our special village of Wakefield.  So close to Gatineau Park and world-class trails for cross-country, snowshoe and now even fat bikes.  Ski hills, ice skating in the woods, spas and other attractions nearby.

Lots going on this winter.  Our very own winter carnival – Dragonfest – takes place at the Centre Wakefield La Pêche January 26-27.  The acclaimed 9th annual Wakefield Docfest will be held every weekend throughout February.  The Gatineau Loppett – the “Greatest International Cross-country Ski Event in Canada” – is the only Canadian stop on the Worldloppett tour.  It will be held on February 16-17-18 with events open to all.  And plenty of live music at the Black Sheep and Kaffe 1870 to keep your feet tapping.

And stay tuned for news on my new “Chef’s Nights” to be held in our renovated kitchen.  A group of up to ten guests will have all the luxuries of staying at Les Trois Erables, including breakfast the next morning, but first will be treated to witnessing and interacting with a renowned chef preparing a multi-course gourmet meal.  And then enjoying it, of course!  Give us a call for more info on when and who.

Bruce and I wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful 2018 – we hope to see many of you!

Shana

 

This is my favourite time of year in and around Wakefield!  The fall colours are just peaking now and, with the recent summer-like weather we’ve had, they should last at least until the end of the month this year.  Come experience Gatineau Park, or take an easy hike on one of our many excellent trails right here in Wakefield.  Or just stroll along the Gatineau River right across from us.  We’ll be taking a short break around the end of November – hope to see you here before then!

Shana

Many of you come to Les Trois Érables for the luxurious and distinctive rooms.  For many others, it’s to savour the three-course gourmet breakfasts.  And we know others just like to enjoy the quiet ambiance of our salon, porch or gardens.  But a lot of others are fascinated by the history of the place – and I don’t just mean that it’s a beautiful old house that dates from 1896 or that Dr Geggie has many country-doctor stories that you can read about when you’re here.  No, it’s the architect of the house who is fascinating, too: Moses Chamberlain Edey, whom we honoured with the name of one of our rooms.

Moses Edey was born in 1845 in Shawville, Quebec – in the Pontiac on the other side of Gatineau Park.  And he was a talented and prolific architect who designed many prominent buildings in Ottawa, such as the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park, designated a National Historic Site and a structure that the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada has designated as one of the top 500 buildings in Canada.  He also designed the since demolished Daly Building that stood beside the Chateau Laurier until 1992, and the magnificent Centretown United Church on Bank Street.  Towns and villages in and around the Ottawa Valley are also sprinkled with commercial buildings, churches, schools and residences that he designed.  And of course one of them is Les Trois Érables.

Some of you may have heard the interview on Saturday April 30 on CBC Radio’s In Town and Out of Nick Cameron, Moses Edey’s great grandson, who proudly listed the architect’s many contributions.  And an Ottawa group came together recently at the Bytown Antique Show to acknowledge Edey’s achievements in a show entitled “Moses Edey, Architect at the Dawn of Modernism”.  We thought we’d take advantage of the occasion ourselves to acknowledge Moses Edey’s contribution to our lives – and yours when you come visit Les Trois Érables!

House Concert!  We are pleased to host another special musical event in our beautiful parlour.  Come join us on Sunday April 17 for some intimate living room contemporary jazz with John Geggie (double bass) and Roddy Ellias (guitar).  Many of you know John from his (very!) local roots and his years at the Ottawa Jazz Festival where he hosted the late-night house jam session band.  He is much in demand for recordings and concerts/broadcasts on both CBC and Radio-Canada, and for thirteen years, he curated and performed in his critically acclaimed Geggie Concert Series at the Fourth Stage of the NAC. Roddy is one of Canada’s most respected guitarists, equally at home with contemporary, jazz or classical repertoire.  Known for his energetic performances and his thoughtful renditions of both new and existing works, he continues to surprise and delight his audiences.

John and Roddy have performed as a duo and in many other musical configurations for over 25 years.  They have an extensive repertoire of material, ranging from original compositions, jazz standards as well as chestnuts from the Great American Songbook.  Expect an evening of chamber music-like improvised jazz with lots of melodic adventure in a lovely historic setting. They will likely decide what they will be playing shortly before the start of each tune!

What:  John Geggie and Roddy Ellias, in concert

When:  Sunday April 17 at 16:00 (4 PM) (appr two hours with one intermission)

Where:  Auberge Les Trois Érables, 801 ch Riverside, Wakefield

Cost: $20.  All ticket revenues go to the musicians.

What else:  BYOB – we will have glasses on hand for you to enjoy your wine or beer!

Coffee and tea will be available, and Shana will have a selection of her delectable

desserts available for a reasonable price.

Reservations:  Please email us at info@lestroiserables.com or call us at 819-459-1118.

Only 25 tickets will be made available!

Well, we have finally dug out of the 50 cm of snow we received in the past week.  (It was really all Bruce’s hard work, … I just watched … lol.)  There were some mild temperatures in the past day or two, but they have been making snow nightly at Vorlage, and recent guests have told us the trails in Gatineau Park are well-groomed and lovely to ski on.  Whether it’s alpine skiing, snow-boarding or cross country, we’ve got it all close by.  Come on out and enjoy the winter wonders of the Gatineau Hills!  Check out our ski packages.

Shana

What started out as a simple upgrade to our website when Bruce and I took over Les Trois Érables over three years ago has turned into a full blown redesign.  It’s finally up.  We hope you like it!  And I intend to keep it fresh with regular posts about developments at the B&B, events in the village and maybe some crazy thoughts on life in this special place.  Could be some great new act at the Black Sheep, an upcoming festival, a special offer from us, a picture of deer in our back gardens – who knows??

Please explore our new site – we’ve attempted to make it more attractive, more user-friendly and more informative.  Your comments are welcome – just go to the Contact Us page.

And stay tuned!

Shana