For several years now, La Cordée has been supporting the Retour aux Sources program. This program, which consists in investing 1% of all sales proceeds on La Cordée brand products, represents our company’s involvement in the development of outdoors infrastructures in Québec. Financial support is offered for the creation, renovation and maintenance of shelters, trails, climbing walls, portages, etc. Through this program, La Cordée wishes to contribute to creating and improving outdoors facilities for the practice of their users’ favourite activities, now and for years to come.

This is our very personal way to thank you for sporting our colours. This reinvestment we make on your behalf will help preserve the future of our outdoor facilities.

This important playground of the Montreal region is enlarging . With the help of the Retour aux Sources program, La Cordée has joined Éco-Nature’s project by giving $10 000. This funding goes directly in the expansion of the protected areas. It helps buying more than 600 000 sq. ft. in the Grand Marais area. The Parc de la Rivière des Mîlle-Îles is a natural protected area that encompasses waterplans, marshes, islands and shores that permits environment education activities while practicing your favorite outdoor activities.

For more information : http://www.parc-mille-iles.qc.ca/indexhf.htm

La Cordée has given the Fédération Québécoise du canot et du kayak $10 000 to help develop this project. 2 areas are now developing : one on the Upper North Shore region (started in 2003 with another fund from La Cordée), the other in the Gaspesia peninsula, still in its initial phase. The St_Lawrence Maritime Trail wishes to value the St-Lawrence River by creating a path for small crafts. The project needs man made sites to help preserve fragile ecosystems as well as giving opportunity for humans to access its exceptional environment

For more information : http://www.canot-kayak.qc.ca

A project for hiking trails starting in Piopolis, a village on the shores of Megantic Lake, was presented by the local development committee. This project wants to give access to the forests and shorelines to humans and at the same time preserve it for future generations. The Retour aux Sources program funded the project for $5 000.

For more information on this project: http://www.mrcgranit.qc.ca/piopolis.html

5,000$ has been donated by La Cordée for the purpose of reequipping, following very strict safety norms, numerous and popular climbing routes of Val-David. Val-David is where rockclimbing began in Québec and numerous newly equipped routes have marked the history of Quebec rockclimbing. These routes can be found on the Césaire, Condor, Dame de Cœur and Mont-King cliffs. For an ever expanding climbing population, these routes have seen their belays and anchors upgraded and/or replaced.for improved safety and consequently a more enjoyable climbing experience For most cases, the replaced equipment was in place since the opening of the route and was terribly lacking safety especially toward today’s safety norms. This project is a joint venture of the FQME and the local climbing club.

To know more about climbing in Val-David :

http://www.drtopo.com/quebec/valda_fr.pdf

SAINT-LAWRENCE MARITIME TRAIL
An additional $10,000 was granted in the Spring 2003 for planning the Lower Saint-Lawrence Maritime Trail, a project steadily taking shape

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI TRAILS IN PIEDMONT
In the fall 1998, $7,000 was used to re-open and signpost historical cross-country ski trails in the Piedmont region. Some famous trails, such as the MOC, Flight Delight, 6X and Wilson North, were brought back from near oblivion. A map of these trails has also been published.

MONTAGNE D'ARGENT; SUMMER SITE
In the spring 1999, the La Cordée Foundation guaranteed the future of the Parc d’escalade et de randonnée de la Montagne d’Argent (PERMA) by purchasing adjacent private property. Located in La Conception, the Montagne d’Argent is one of Québec’s major climbing sites. It also offers several kilometres of trekking trails from which one can admire the Upper Laurentians and Red Rived Valley landscapes. The acquired sector regroups the M&M, Hippocampe, Amphithéâtre and Le Fou sectors that were already in use and that contributed to the site’s fame. This acquisition represents an investment of more than $35,000 over many years. A long-term lease guarantees PERMA user fees. http://www.montagnedargent.com/