Parc linéaire Le P’tit train du nord

In the late 1860s, the Reverend Labelle proposed to authorities in Montreal to build a railway line linking the city to the Laurentians. They considered the project low priority. The harsh winter of 1872 changed their minds and the shortage of firewood, offset in part by the activities of Father Labelle, revived the idea.

In 1876, the Montreal / St-Jerome railway is inaugurated as is the priest’s dream to extend the road further north. In 1892, one year after the death of Monsignor Labelle, the Saint-Jérôme / Sainte-Agathe section is completed. It will still be 17 years before the trains will arrive in Mont-Laurier. This route became so popular that every weekend, the Canadian Pacific set up snow trains to transport hundreds of Montreal skiers looking for adventure “Up North”.

The good old days du P'tit Train du Nord last until the late 1940s, but development of road networks diminish its popularity. By 1981, the line is finally closed.

In the 1990s, a natural gas pipeline was installed under the abandoned railway line and the crushed stone surfaced trail became a protected park. In 1996, the P'tit Train du Nord Linear Park was inaugurated.

This 200 km long track links Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier. The old stations are converted into cafes and restaurants, serving as relays. You can travel on foot, inline skates or by bike in summer, but also by cross-country skis, snowshoes or snowmobile in winter.