Le Massif Launches A New Image

Cirque du Soleil founder Daniel Gauthier, a genius at reinventing the world, has come up with a new name for his beloved Territoire Le Massif project an hour east of Quebec City.

The new name for this sustainable tourism project is "Le Massif de Charlevoix."

"We have preferred a simple, evocative name that leads back to the very essence of the project," said Gauthier, principal owner of Le Massif.

His vision puts Le Massif at the center of regional, sustainable development that ties in housing, commercial real estate, the ski resort, and a rail line from Quebec to the foot of the mountain.

Gauthier sees Le Massif de Charlevoix as a four-season enterprise, with skiing and snowboarding in winter, and nature-based recreation in summer, tied to the region's strong base of artists, and based on its environmental qualities.

Le Massif is about an hour east of Quebec, on the shore of the St. Lawrence River, near several small towns that have evolved from fishing villages to communities of artists.

"Le Massif de Charlevoix is a name that is banking on the reputation of Le Massif as it is known today, but also on Charlevoix, a region that enjoys considerable fame on the national and international scenes," Gauthier said. He said the project aims at long-term success at the ski area, while contributing to the Charlevoix region's success on social, economic, and tourism related spheres.

The tourism and recreation project represents a $230 million investment between now and 2013. Beyond Le Massif Ski Area, this original project spans from Baie-Saint-Paul to Petite-Rivière-Saint-François in the Charlevoix. The project includes the ski area, train, 400 lodging units including a 150-room eco-hotel, and a 500-seat function hall.

Chemin de fer de Charlevoix got under way this fall with an 18-month, $15.4 million track rehabilitation project that will make way for a touring train linking Québec City and La Malbaie.

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