On a Sunday morning in March, I am seated at the eco-capé at the end of the world waiting to meet Louis Lessard and Patricia Brouard, co-owners of the eco-villégiature baluchon, for what was going to be the first duet interview with the chronicle I am a hotelier. I enjoy my third nutella nutella to ask me how to put forward the journey of two people at the same time … Then, arrives Louis the passionate, with his stars in his eyes, accompanied by his business and life partner. We guess it, the intuition of one coupled with the calm force of the other form a foolproof visionary duo. As soon as the biologist begins to talk about his hotel establishment, I realize that I am dealing with an entrepreneur who does nothing like the others and that this interview will not be like the others either. Breakfast with a couple of hoteliers who invite their guests to enjoy the present moment in a setting that preserves the past in order to give it back to future generations.
As soon as you arrive at the Baluchon, in Mauriciewe are invaded by this feeling of tranquility and timelessness. The eco-villégiature center, located on the site of the ancient worker village of Hunterstown, gives the impression of having preserved its 19th century tunes. The former bombardier auto and the horseshoe vacationers crossed at the entrance to the site confirm this feeling. The objective of the company also: ” The primary mission that we gave ourselves 35 years ago was to protect the territory of the wolf river “, explain Louis Lessard.
Preservation is therefore one of the cornerstone of their business model. We feel it when you visit the different inns dispersed through the 4 square km (1,000 acres) of forest land that line the river. As we follow the paths that crisscross the territory of the Baluchon, we meet a all-red barn, a new-France style manor, a farmhouse, a chapel and, a little further, the vestiges of the old Damphousse sawmill (from the Hockey Family). So many places that today welcome the cozy rooms of the baluchon.
For Louis Lessardpreserving the environment witness to the past is in a way a commitment to its visitors: “ We have a 300 -year -old white pine there, because people before decided not to cut it. It is important for us to share these kinds of details with our guests, who can go see this tree in winter in snowshoes. »
When the wood must absolutely be cut, it is reused and put at the service of the guests. Thus, each of the splendid wooden furniture that surrounds me in the eco-café or that we find in some 90 rooms is made of wood that comes from the Baluchon territory And which is worked in the cabinetmaking located in the site.
Beyond the preservation of heritage and the environment, where the notion of sustainability takes on its full meaning, it is in the Cooperative business model set up at the baluchon. Indeed, through its Cooperative the neighborhood at the end of the worldthe hotel company relies on the expertise of local entrepreneurs with whom it collaborates in order to enhance and diversify the experience of its customers. In addition to eating and staying on site, visitors can go horse riding, dog sled, fat bike, snowmobiles, tube sliding or kayak: ” As soon as a neighbor offers us a coherent value added for our guests, we are interested. For us, it’s a pride to make people work by the area », confides Louis.
The products sold on site are also offered by local craftsmen. In addition to the homemade Nutella, you can enjoy jams made with local fruits, hazelnuts picked in the surrounding wooded, truffles grown in the local truffle, maple syrup of the wooded woods of Amélie or even honey from the beekeeping company. For Patriciacooperation between hoteliers and artisans in the region is a win-win recipe whose main beneficiaries are the guests: “ Our main business activity revolves around the hotel, restaurant and spa, but all other services and experiences are offered by local partners in cooperative mode, which gives a very powerful model. And the strength that keeps it all together is the customer experience. »
The head always filled with innovative ideas, the two owners reveal me as early as their future projects While being kindly served a second cup of coffee syrup coffee syrup: always with the aim of offering an experience in symbiosis with nature, The Baluchon spa will offer in 2026 A new experience entitled The feet in the waterwhich will invite customers to follow the path of the river and take a forest bath along a course of meditation and interpretation of rare trees.
« But what is most expensive in our eyes is the trust “, Precise Louis. “The trust? “I say, amazed. “” Yes! Our objective is to create legal protection for the Baluchon territory for future generations, in particular against real estate development. In 200 years, we would like this site to be there again. »
If the past is the guarantor of the future, we can therefore count on Louis and Patricia to continue to fill the promise of the Baluchon: to preserve the territory to offer their guests a moment in the heart of timelessness.
Photo credits: Michel Julien
Steven Ross
Communication consultant and trainer
Business | Tourism | Entertainment
Connectr Communication founder
