“It was like a luxury hotel.
The Lac-Édouard sanatorium, isolated in the heart of the Mauritian forest, was described by its residents as a veritable haven of convalescence. Built at the beginning of the XXᵉ century, this refuge offered light-filled rooms, meticulous meals, carefully tended gardens and an atmosphere imbued with calm and dignity. Much more than a hospital, it was a place designed to offer patients the noblest possible environment in their fight for life.
Within its walls, hope breathed with pure mountain air. The long, open galleries, vast, airy dormitories and nature walks were in keeping with a humanist conception of care: one that believed in the restorative power of beauty and serenity. The Lac-Édouard sanatorium was more than just a building; it was a world in itself, a refuge from oblivion, where time seemed suspended in expectation of an ever-hoped-for cure.
A place dedicated to healing through nature
A self-sufficient village
Over the years, the Lac-Édouard sanatorium has developed into a veritable village in the heart of the forest.
In 1905, inspired by the best health establishments in the world, some twenty buildings were erected, each serving a specific function in a spirit of care and autonomy. Isolated from the rest of the world and accessible only by train, the site had to provide for all its needs. Alongside the care and accommodation pavilions, there was a huge water tower, a boiler room topped by a tall chimney, a large laundry, a school for employees’ children, an infirmary, and a majestic chapel. Nurses lived in the Hive, stores were kept in underground cellars, and a farm with its outbuildings ensured food production. Employees were housed in beautiful dwellings scattered around the estate. Even entertainment found its place: in the basement of the Couillard wing, a luxurious auditorium, complete with cinema, had been donated by a famous Broadway director who had fallen in love with Lake Édouard.
Quebec & Lake St-John Railway
In 1888, the first railroad to penetrate northern Quebec reached the shores of Lac des Grandes Isles – now known as Lac Édouard. Following the majestic Batiscan River valley, the Quebec & Lake St-John Railway paved the way for the exploration and development of a vast, unspoiled territory. As with the conquest of the American West, the “iron horse” broke the isolation of regions previously accessible only after long weeks by canoe. Along this new route, luxury hotels sprang up to welcome guests eager for adventure and nature. As early as 1890, the Laurentides House on Lac Édouard and the Grand Hôtel Roberval on Lac Saint-Jean made the region a mecca for American outdoor tourism.
Canadian Adirondacks
With the arrival of the steam train in the heart of these wild landscapes, a wave of foreign tourists arrived, led by wealthy families from the American East Coast. Seduced by the immensity of the boreal forests, they dubbed the region the Canadian Adirondacks, echoing the mountains they knew at home. Every summer, they came in search of adventure: paddling from lake to lake, pitching their tents under the stars, fishing for the biggest speckled trout. Lake Edward soon became a land of legends, where fishing exploits were sung by troubadours like Kit Clarke and Adirondack Murray. It was the dawn of a huge outdoor movement, where wilderness became the greatest of luxuries.
