Mélissa Gélinas LJI Reporter
Despite the cold winter days, the Outaouais region is full of a range of activities for lovers of nature, sports, culture, and even more. There will definitely be something for everyone.
Winterlude
In co-production with the City of Gatineau and Canadian Heritage, Winterlude welcomes many families and individuals of all ages to Jacques-Cartier Park each year. This year, the event will take place from January 31 to February 17. Several activities, such as traditional tube slides, snow sculptures, shows, and more will be available, to make the experience memorable. For further details, visit the Winterlude 2025 Facebook page.
G-ANIME
From January 17 to 19, the Palais des Congrès de Gatineau, located at 50 boulevard Maisonneuve, will be hosting the G-ANIME Japanese animation festival, for their 15th edition. It’s a must-see event for geek culture enthusiasts. For the occasion, there will be a costume-making competition, several concerts, dancing, video game tournaments, several special guests and even more. For more information on the event and/or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.ganime.ca/
Winter pleasures
The City of Gatineau is organizing the winter pleasures event in several sectors of the city, such as Buckingham, Masson-Angers, Aylmer and old Gatineau, that will take place between January 18 and March 1. For the occasion, everyone will be able to enjoy an ice rink, a campfire, hot drinks, cross-country skiing sessions, sleigh rides, hikes and even more, depending on the area. For more information, go to: https://calendrier.gatineau.cloud/calendrier/parcourir.aspx?langue=fr-ca&categories=5
Snowshoe under the stars
For nature and outdoor lovers, the Friends of Gatineau Park will organize a snowshoe hike every Friday at 7:00 pm, starting January 17. This will be the ideal time to admire nightfall, while learning more about the flora and fauna of the park from an interpretive guide. To find out more, go to: https://www.friendsofgatineaupark.com/activiteacutes-agrave-venir.html
Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles
L’Estacade will offer a family show on January 25 from 1:00 pm to 2:20 pm at 580 rue Maclaren Est in the Buckingham sector of Gatineau. It is a captivating piece filled with enigmas, to plunge directly into the world of Sherlock Holmes. Since 2012, this play has been performed in the United Kingdom and has since enjoyed enormous success. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.carrefourculturelestacade.ca/famille/sherlock-holmes
To find out more about the many activities offered in Outaouais, go to the upcoming events section of the City of Gatineau website at: https://calendrier.gatineau.cloud/calendrier/raccourcis.aspx?langue=fr-ca and/or the Outaouais tourism website at: https://www.tourismeoutaouais.com/activites/festivals-et-evenements/
Photo: Campfire for the Winterlude event in Aylmer (March 16, 2024). (MG) Photo: Facebook page, Steven Boivin, Aylmer municipal councillor