The Tourism Establishment Accessibility Program (also known as the PAET) aims to provide financial support to tourism businesses looking to transform or improve their infrastructures in order to make them accessible to visitors with a disability. The Village du Bûcheron took part in this program and told us how it helped make the attraction more accessible. This feature is produced in partnership with Kéroul and Événements Attractions Québec.

What is the Village du Bûcheron?

Designed as a path that passes through some twenty buildings, the Village du Bûcheron offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the forest industry of Quebec. The secrets of that industry are revealed, piece by piece. Storytellers enhance the experience and allow visitors to learn more about the "woodsmen", those who shaped the region of Mauricie and the province of Quebec. In a life-size setting reproducing the workshops and tools of the time, visitors discover the heavy task that awaited the log drivers, lumberjacks, and other workers at the time. But the cottages, sheds, sawmills and other buildings of the olden days obviously did not meet today's accessibility standards!

For the owners of the Village du Bûcheron, one of the oldest tourist attractions in the Mauricie region, the idea of doing a few renovations to make their premises accessible was not a daunting task.

Renovations for better accessibility

Renovations were planned to make the path more accessible to wheelchair users. "We often received calls from groups of people with reduced mobility, and we couldn't easily accommodate them," recalls Baptiste Prud'homme, director of the Village du Bûcheron, "Also, our activities are very popular with seniors, who sometimes found the path difficult to manage.”

Since aging is often accompanied by some weakening of physical capabilities, the Village du Bûcheron had no choice but to adapt its premises. In particular, by adding an accessible bathroom to accommodate people in wheelchairs. All buildings are now equipped with an access ramp, a contemporary addition that blends very well with the picturesque decor. “We didn't want to distort the village," explains Baptiste. And we were able to integrate ramps in a very harmonious way. We even had a building that was more of a problem for us; we broke down a wall to install a suitable ramp. We are very pleased with the result! "All these adaptations were funded through the accessibility program (the PAET).

Visiting the Village du Bûcheron more easily

Baptiste also wanted to make it easier for visitors to move around the outdoor areas: "Some visitors mentioned to us that, even if the path is just 500 or 600 metres long, it is a bit steep, it’s made of stone dust and it can be exhausting to follow...". For this purpose, the Village du Bûcheron keeps a walker, a wheelchair and even a golf kart at visitors’ disposal.

"It’s funny, we have older visitors, who are a bit too proud, and who don’t want the walker… But they do like the golf kart!”

Please note that the team offers guided tours by reservation, from Thursday to Sunday. It is also possible to go there on other days of the week and use an audioguide. No matter which option you chose, a person with a visual impairment will be able to fully appreciate the experience. "We pay attention, when we have clients with low vision, to better describe the surroundings in detail. It's important to us.”

Other members of Événements Attractions Québec have also taken part in the Tourism Establishment Accessibility Program offered by Kéroul. You can also read our article about the Reford Gardens, our article about the Trou de la Fée Cavern and our article about the Ecomuseum Zoo.