November 6th 2025
A collective look at our Trails of the Past
Thank you to everyone who joined us on October 22 for the launch of the Trails of the Past photo exhibition.
For the occasion, we had the privilege of welcoming Catherine Potvin, Professor Emerita in McGill University’s Department of Biology, along with Micah Pavlidis, a master’s student dedicated to studying forest changes at Gault. Their talk offered insightful perspectives on current ecological challenges.
Photo: Alex Tran
Their presentation sparked meaningful discussions about the overpopulation of white-tailed deer, a regional issue affecting southern Québec. While the negative impacts on natural habitats are well known, this phenomenon is also increasingly affecting residents in peri-urban and rural areas: stripped hedgerows, higher risk of collisions, and the spread of ticks… Many of you shared how this situation affects your daily lives.
After a conference full of engaging discussions, the evening concluded with a celebration of our community’s creativity through the announcement of the winners of the Trails of the Past photo contest, held last winter.
We warmly congratulate the individuals whose photographs were selected by the jury.
Winner of the “Best composition” category: Françoise Cot, for her photo taken on the green trail in 2010.
Winner of the “Oldest photo” category: Veronique Lapierre, for her photo taken on the trail connecting the Welcome Centre to Lac Hertel in 1993.
Winner of the “Clearest ecological impact” category: Bertrand Pigeon, for his photo taken on the orange trail in 2013.
Grand prize: Rémi Garon, for his photo taken at Lac Hertel in 2008.
Special mention of the jury: Bertrand Pigeon, for his photo taken on the red trail in 2012.
The winning photos, along with others from our archives, will be installed along the trails in spring 2026. Stay tuned for the announcement of the exhibition installation and to discover the full route!
Photo: Alex Tran
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The Promise (And Challenge) of Using Drones for Deer Surveys
October 4, 2022. Project funded by the 2022 Gault Research Award aims to test a new tool which could facilitate the work of biologists and help park managers keep an eye on the population sizes of species of interest.
Predicting Lyme Disease Risk: Do Deer and Humans Play a Role?
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