Laurentian Ski Museum

Founded in 1982 by the Société d’histoire et de généalogie des Pays-d’en-Haut and a group of ski enthusiasts, the Laurentian Ski Museum’s self-appointed mandate is to continue to promote the history of skiing, and, as a result, the history of the Laurentians, which owe their incredible expansion to the sport.

Thanks to a collection of over 7,500 artifacts and one hundred photographs, the museum has created a permanent exhibition titled “Vivre en hiver, de l’hiver et avec l’hiver (or Living in winter, of winter, and with winter)”.

It depicts the major phases in the history of skiing in the Laurentians, from its beginnings as a method of transportation on the snow to its key role in the development of society, the economy, and tourism in the Laurentians. 

Hotels come to mind: with the arrival of the “P’tit Train du Nord”, tourists would need a place to stay in the winter, at a time when there were some 165 ski resorts in the Laurentians. 

The museum also presents temporary exhibitions about the world of skiing, like the one dedicated to the legendary Herman Smith-Johannsen, a.k.a. “Jackrabbit”, who died at the age of 111. 

See the disciplines evolve, along with their outfits and equipment through the years, some of which look like they were pieced together by ingenious inventors! Did you know that skis were three metres long when Norwegians first brought them to Canada in the XIXth century? Or that skis rapidly posed a threat to Indigenous rawhide snowshoes?

Other artifacts, such as snowboards, snowshoes, skates, and toboggans, also testify to the expansion of winter sports. 

The museum also houses the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, to which many athletes, sponsors, organizations, and journalists from the world of skiing have been inducted since 1982. 

OPENING HOURS
Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reservations mandatory: 450 227-2564, ext. 3 or 1 877 528-2553.
Admission is free, but a contribution of $3 per person is recommended.