Wakefield, Quebec, is a charming village nestled in the municipality of La Pêche, located on the western shore of the Gatineau River. This quaint village, situated at the confluence of the La Pêche River in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada, is a mere thirty-five kilometers northwest of Ottawa, Ontario. Named after the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, this village was founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish, and English immigrants. Today, Wakefield stands as the southern edge of the municipality of La Pêche.
Wakefield is a convenient getaway, being just a twenty-five-minute drive north of the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge that separates Gatineau and Ottawa (Ontario). This journey is made easy by the Autoroute 5, a modern four-lane divided highway that extends to the village. Wakefield's uniqueness lies in its status as a primarily Anglophone town in a predominantly Francophone province.
Wakefield's primary industry is tourism, with a plethora of attractions that draw visitors from far and wide. The region boasts the Gendron covered bridge that spans the Gatineau River, the Wakefield Documentary Film Festival, and the legendary Black Sheep Inn (Auberge Mouton Noir), a live music venue. The Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa, a 4-star establishment with breathtaking views of the Maclaren Falls, and Eco-Odyssee, a navigable water maze, are other notable attractions.
Wakefield provides access points to Gatineau Park near the junction of Route Principale and Highway 5, and also at the Wakefield Mill. Until 2011, a tourist steam train ran daily from Gatineau to Wakefield via Chelsea along the Gatineau River during the summer months. The village and its surroundings offer a variety of recreational activities, including horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, tubing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, golf, canoeing, and kayaking. A popular unsupervised and unofficial swimming area beneath the covered bridge attracts thousands of people every summer.
The Wakefield community is known for its thriving arts scene. The village has developed a reputation for a somewhat bohemian lifestyle and is home to several small cafes, pubs, and galleries. Many young families and artists live in the area, enjoying its lifestyle, services, and resources. Public buildings include the Wakefield Memorial Hospital, an elementary school, the MRC des Collines Police Station, the Daycare Centre Éveil de la Nature, the Wakefield Retirement Home, and a municipal library. The village also publishes a weekly regional newspaper, The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Wakefield has a rich legacy, with former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson buried in Maclaren Cemetery in the village. Since 2011, the village has hosted the Wakefield Covered Bridge Run, a running event created by the Marathon of Health and the Wakefield community to raise money for organizations that promote healthy and active lifestyles through sports.
