Mazes in marshes
Treasure hunts and adventures await at Eco- Odyssée,
Where did you go?
To a marsh near Wakefield, Que., to make like a beaver and hunt for turtles, birds and bears.
Beavers don’t go looking for turtles and birds, much less bears. What are you talking about?
OK. You got me there. We actually used a paddleboat to make our way though channels carved out in the marsh, looking for signs to point our way through a large water maze. We saw turtles and birds that were both real and fake. The bear, thank heavens, was a fake but we never did find him.
Were the bugs bad?
Surprisingly, no. We were told that the frogs and dragonflies took care of most of the mosquitoes. Our trip through the maze was wonderfully bug-free. But I’d still recommend you bring bug spray, sun screen and water. Boat trips take around two hours.
This sounds quite unusual. Tell me more.
The place we went to is called EcoOdyssée. Its founder, Michel Leclair, got the idea for the unique eco-adventure park from the way beavers create a maze of tunnels to allow them to move freely around their territory. Eco-Odyssée has 6.4 kilometres of channels and more than 60 intersections where the wrong turn will get you lost.
So this is a huge water maze?
Yes. But it is also a treasure hunt, or an orienteering adventure, because you select a game to play as you work your way through the maze. Because we had two preschoolers with us, staff recommended one that involved finding just five animals, birds and reptiles, in designated areas of our route. Other adventures involve longer routes, the use of a compass and more challenging clues to find.
So how did you do?
We had a great time but we didn’t find all of our clues. I went with my friend Arlene Steadman and her grandsons, Carter, 5, and Maverick, 3. We poked along and saw lots of swallows, dragonflies, tiny turtles, and a few frogs. The boys were eager to help spot the clues, as well as look for the wooden owls that marked turns on our designated route. Once we found the clue (a replica of an animal), we looked it up in a wildlife guide that each boat carries, then wrote down the proper name on our game card.
Why didn’t you find all your clues? Did you get lost?
Yes to the second question. We missed a turn somewhere along the way — apparently that’s pretty common (all boats carry walkie-talkies so you can be rescued if need be.) We figured out our mistake, but opted not to retrace our route because a picnic lunch beckoned. The other clue we missed was the elusive black bear.
My guess is that someone “kidnapped” that statue because there were lots of boats trolling that section and nobody could find the clue. The guys at the boat dock said they would check and replace the bear, if it was missing.
How did you get back without finding all your clues?
We had a map. The clues are used in a second part of the adventure, which also involves looking up information in the wildlife guide and a short walk on Frog Island. I’m not a big fan of games, but I do like how we needed to look up facts in our nature book, in order to complete the game.
What are the details?
Eco-Odyssée is open weekdays to Sept. 2 and then only on weekends through Oct. 6. First paddleboats depart at 9:30 a.m. and last ones at 3:30 p.m. Paddleboat rental is $48.50 per boat, regardless of which adventure is selected.
Where can I get more information?
Visit the website: eco-odyssee.ca or phone 819-459-2551. Eco-Odyssée is less than one hour from downtown Ottawa near Wakefield, Que., 52 chemin les Sources, La Pêche (Wakefield), Que. J0X 3G0.