The history of the territories of Mont-Tremblant National Park and Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve is closely related. By the 19th century, forestry was the main economic activity in these territories. In the 20th century, tourist activities have grown.
Territory Rouge- Wildlife Reserve Since its inception, the limits of Wildlife Rouge-Matawin have been amended several times. In 1924, the "Ministère des Terres et forêts du Québec" (Department of Lands and Forests of Quebec) adopted new goals to further protect wildlife, regulate rivers and better order in logging concessions. Consequently, a legislative amendment begat the creation of the Forest Reserve Mountain-Tremblant (3108 km2), adjacent to the Park-Tremblant Mountain (60 km2), at that time. In 1925, the status of "Forest Reserve" has been attributed to the park. The new reserve is now under the jurisdiction of the Ministère des Terres et Forêts (Ministry of Lands and Forests), and the Park, in the é au parc. Cette nouvelle réserve relève dorénavant de la juridiction du Ministère des Terres et Forêts, et le Parc, sous la celle du Ministère de la Colonisation, des Mines et des Pêcheries (Ministry of Colonization, Mines and Fisheries). Adopted in 1981, the Provincial Decree 208-81 modifies the boundaries of the Mont-Tremblant National Park. The northern area will now report to the new Réserve faunique Rouge-Matawin (Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve), which then covers 1655 km2. In 1990, an area of 251 km2 is returned to the Mont-Tremblant National Park. Thus, the reserve now covers 1394 km2.
Forestry and land development In the 19th century, logging was the main economic activity justifying the development of this area. Yards lumbering settled as logging concessions on public lands, granted by the
Government of Quebec. Formerly, the Rouge River like the Rivière du Diable (Devil) and Matawin were the only means of transporting timber (by flotation). Forest roads were non-existent, forest entrepreneurs build their own winter roads. In favor of ice on rivers and winter roads improvised in forest, they could achieve their territories cutting and hauling wood to rivers. The planning activities by the forest industry were: open roads and ports, build camps and depots, erect dams. Generally, the existing network of forest roads to access the territory of the reserve and park, drift from the first forest roads built by logging companies. Today, the territory of the Reserve and the Park still has vestiges showing various activities of former forest sites. In 1937, the CIP, which already operated softwoods in the valley of "Rivière du Diable" (Devil river), gives expanded its activities to cut forest in watersheds of the Rouge River and the
Macaza. Then, the large forestry companies establish their facilities across the territories, according to logging concessions obtained. In 1926, the EB Eddy (Hull) has acquired the rights to logging in the watershed of the
Rouge River (Quebec). While the Consolidated Paper Ltd, acquired the stumpage basin of the Matawin River, at north of
Saint-Donat, Lanaudière, Quebec using stumpage obtained in 1932. Thus the main roads of the park was developed initially by logging companies. Between 1948 and 1950 the company Consolidated Bathurst set up a road linking
Saint-Donat, Lanaudière, Quebec to
Saint-Guillaume-Nord and
Saint-Michel-des-Saints via the lake Caribou. Then deposit Cypress arranged by Consolidated Bathurst, with fifty buildings that will be used from 1948 to 1969, will become the largest site of the park. At the time of the reserve Joliette, hardwood has been exploited in the areas of lakes John, Mathias and Sec (Dry) for a sawmill of
Saint-Michel-des-Saints. Note that part of the territory of the reserve Joliette became the
Zec Lavigne and the other the Assumption sector of the Mont-Tremblant National Park in 1981. == Hunting and fishing ==