WEEKEND

Business Travel, the Outa-ouais

By Daviel Lazure Vieira

The Gatineau region’s natural charm and culinary delights are two good reasons to make Quebec part of your next trip to Ottawa.

With Gatineau Park – a 140-square-mile natural playground – only minutes from downtown on the other side of the river, Quebec has the Canadian capital beat for downtime. Whether you’re skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding or just sightseeing, you’ll have no trouble putting boardroom boredom behind you on a business trip.

If you’re planning to embrace the great outdoors when it’s time to punch out, check into the mod new Château Cartier, 10 minutes from Parliament Hill and walking distance from the park. Each recently renovated suite at this impressive Aylmer-region property comes with contemporary furnishings, roomy glass-door showers and a large flat-screen TV. The hotel even has its own scenic 18-hole golf course on the banks of the Ottawa River.

Once settled in, take some time to discover the fine dining and entertainment options available in the town of Gatineau. A little out of the way, but well worth the detour, Le Panaché has earned a devoted following among the area’s foodies for its professional service and knowledgeable staff. Then there’s the great food. For $42, you can create your own four-course table d’hôte menu. If you aren’t won over by the cream of celery root and black bean soup, the house specialty, rack of lamb with roasted garlic and rosemary sauce, is sure to do the trick.

For a complete getaway, head north to Chelsea, just 10 minutes from downtown Ottawa. There, Le Nordik Nature Spa banishes stress with a Finnish sauna or a steam bath, followed by a hot stone massage.

Spa treatments can leave you feeling peckish, so make time for a stop at Les Fougères, a culinary landmark near Gatineau Park. The menu focuses on skillfully prepared terroir products. Start your meal with seared Quebec duck foie gras served with a compote of Lac Saint-Jean wild blueberries; then follow up with braised Takwânaw Farm bison shoulder with root vegetables and herbs.

After all that relaxation and indulgence, you might want to throw a little excitement into the mix at the Casino du Lac-Leamy. Here you’ll find old-fashioned entertainment in a sophisticated setting. The complex also features a luxurious five-star Hilton Hotel and Le Baccara, an award-winning gourmet restaurant. The European-influenced menu includes such standouts as veal mignon and seared lobster served with polenta and pistachio-infused lobster mousseline. Leave your wine choice to the sommelier; the restaurant’s cellar numbers some 13,000 bottles.

If casual is more your style, pull up a bar stool at Café 4 Jeudis, a friendly neighborhood spot with a great selection of imports and microbrews. And it’s more than just a watering hole. Over the past 25 years, this cultural bistro has organized exhibits for emerging local artists while hosting summer movies and concerts on the outdoor patio.

(Daviel Lazure Vieira is a writer and editor with Spafax Montreal. His next stop is the part of France that’s really Germany.)

TOP IMAGE: CHATEAU CARTIER
GATINEAU PARK: NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION
FOUGÈRES: ANDREW VAN BEEK