La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve is one of the largest reserves in the province of Quebec, Canada, covering
Two First Nation communities are found within the boundaries of the wildlife reserve: Kitcisakik on Great Victoria Lake and Lac-Rapide on Cabonga Reservoir.
History
The reserve was established in 1939 with the name Reserve Route-Mont-Laurier-Senneterre. It was that year that the road linking Mont-Laurier to Abitibi (now known as Route 117) was expected to be completed. Because the new road made an exceptionally rich wildlife territory accessible to thousands of hunters and fishermen, its protection thus became important.
In 1950, the government transformed the hunting and fishing reservation into a park and renamed it in honour of the explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, on the 200th anniversary of his death (1749). It gained the status of wildlife reserve in 1979.
thumb|Two women with a large fish at La Vérendrye, about 1960
Activity
La Vérendrye Reserve is a popular park for outdoor activities in all seasons. In the winter, snowmobiling can be done on trails through the park. In the spring, there are whitewater rivers to canoe, particularly the Gens de Terre River. In the summer, it is a great place for fishing, hiking, swimming, and canoe camping. In the autumn, hunting is permitted. Popular game animals include moose and white-tailed deer (black bear hunting in the spring). Permits and payment of fees are required for any of these activities.
Le Domaine is the community along Route 117 where most of the park services are concentrated, and permits, fuel, and food can be obtained.
Flora
thumb|right|250px|Dozois Reservoir and Highway 117
La Vérendrye's landscape is typical of the Canadian Shield. The main tree species include black spruce, white spruce, jack pine, eastern white pine, red pine, and white birch.