Once you saw the view from the Mountain of St-hillaire.
Do not forget to eat in this fantastic place.
Rare treats with excellent price.
Restaurant L'Etoile De St-Hilaire
874 boulevard Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier
Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Québec, J3H4X9
Téléphone: 450-467-0457
Once you saw the view from the Mountain of St-hillaire.
Of all the Monteregian Hills that rise so prominently from the floor of the St.
Lawrence River Valley, Mont St. Hilaire (414 m) is the least disturbed by human
activity and the richest in terms of natural history and cultural interest. Lac
Hertel (32 hectares), surrounded by the only remaining primeval forests in the region,
forms the heart of the mountain. The mountain, clothed in virgin forest, is an exceptional
locality for both plant and animal diversity. There are over 600 higher plant species
on the mountain, including many species designated rare or endangered in Quebec
and Canada. Some trees in the forest exceed 400 years of age. There are over 800
known species of butterflies and moths on the mountain and its surroundings. The
unusual geology of the mountain fully equals the richness of its biological resources.
Mont St. Hilaire is recognized as among the top ten mineral-collecting sites in
the world. There are 372 known types of minerals on the mountain, of which 50 are
new to science. Others have been collected but remain of uncertain identity. Mont
St. Hilaire also occupies a special place in the cultural history of Quebec and
Canada through its influence on the work of Ozias Leduc, an artist who lived and
worked at the foot of the mountain. Paul Ã0mile Borduas, a student of Leduc, also
lived in the region for a couple of years. The great scientific and cultural significance
of Mont St. Hilaire was recognized in 1978 when the United Nations designated the
mountain as the first Canadian site in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve program. The
mountain is also recognized as a migratory bird sanctuary and is in the process
of being designated a sanctuary for the peregrine falcons that nest on the Dieppe
Cliffs.