# Coulonge Chutes

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The **Coulonge Chutes** (in French: ***Chutes Coulonge***) is a non-profit recreation park and historical exhibition area operating in [Mansfield-et-Pontefract](/source/Mansfield-et-Pontefract,_Quebec), in the [Pontiac Regional County Municipality](/source/Pontiac_Regional_County_Municipality,_Quebec) of western [Quebec](/source/Quebec), Canada. Its main attraction is the 42 meters (138 ft) high Grandes Chutes [waterfall](/source/Waterfall) of the [Coulonge River](/source/Coulonge_River) and 100 meters (330 ft) long cement [log slide](/source/Timber_slide).

Although the last [log drive](/source/Log_driving) ended here in 1982, the waterfalls and gorge of the Coulonge River enjoy a substantial popularity among tourists, hikers and cyclists for playing a tremendous role in the reimagining of [ecotourism](/source/Ecotourism) in an area no longer able to survive upon resource extraction alone.

## History

At the beginning of the 19th century, early forestry operations pushed tall [white pines](/source/Eastern_White_Pine), squared by [axe](/source/Axe), down into the Ottawa River, destined to be sold by auction near the [Canadian Parliament](/source/Canadian_Parliament) buildings and exported to [England](/source/England) where they were used to build ships during the [Berlin Decree](/source/Berlin_Decree) proclaimed by [Napoleon Bonaparte](/source/Napoleon_Bonaparte). Timber from the area played a large part in the construction of cities along the American East Coast including [Boston](/source/Boston) and [New York City](/source/New_York_City).

In the 1830s and 1840s, [George Bryson Sr.](/source/George_Bryson_Sr.) settled near the mouth of the [Coulonge River](/source/Coulonge_River), an [Ottawa River](/source/Ottawa_River) [tributary](/source/Tributary) - acquiring thousands of acres of timber rights including 200 acres (0.81 km2) directly surrounding what is known as The Grandes Chutes, located approximately 15 kilometers north of the Ottawa River itself. In 1843, Bryson built the Marchand covered bridge.

As more settlers arrived in the area from [Ireland](/source/Ireland), [Scotland](/source/Scotland), the [United States](/source/United_States), [Germany](/source/Germany) and [Poland](/source/Poland), many small towns along the length of the river were established.

Bryson constructed a [sawmill](/source/Sawmill) on the river's edge around 1850. Because the Coulonge Falls were a huge obstacle in the transportation of local timber, a massive 3,000 feet (910 m) wooden log slide was constructed to enable wood to pass freely over the treacherous drop. In 1923, a cement slide replaced the wooden chute. [J.E. Boyle](/source/J.E._Boyle), constructed a sawmill in [Davidson](/source/Davidson,_Quebec) - still in operation today - exporting to the United States and other Canadian provinces.

The Coulonge River and the log slide remained in use for log drives until 1982. The site became a public park in 1985 when a reception chalet was opened.

## See also

- [Fort Coulonge](/source/Fort_Coulonge)
- [Ottawa River](/source/Ottawa_River)

## External links

- [Chutes Coulonge official website](http://chutescoulonge.qc.ca/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Coulonge Chutes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulonge_Chutes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulonge_Chutes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.