Photographer: Bob Lamotte
Alexandre Champagne Kicks Off
1st EV Road Trip
August 2020 | Go EVerywhere, Gaspesie Edition
Traveling with an electric vehicle is much more accessible than it used to be. That’s why change agent and media savvy personality from Quebec, Alexandre Champagne, is the first to kick off our series of upcoming responsible road trips. In seven days, discover the main highlights he encountered while touring the Gaspé Peninsula with the ChargeHub team. Here’s a sneak peak into the region’s natural beauty, summer must-sees and culinary wonders!
Day 1
On August 1st, Alexandre and the ChargeHub team kicked off Go EVerywhere’s 1st road trip. Departing from Brossard with an electric vehicle provided Bourgeois Chevrolet, the crew drove to Charlevoix, a route of approximately 360 km long, where a charging session was completed at one of Circuit électrique’s fast charging stations. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Thierry Eck, General Manager of Hôtel Le Germain Charlevoix, who takes them into the culinary wonders of the region, explaining that 80% of what is consumed within their facilities is grown on-site.
Day 2
This responsible road trip is only just beginning! After crossing the St. Lawrence River with the RDL Ferry, Alexandre and the crew head to the Bic National Park near Rimouski.
Pop quiz question! What types of ecosystems exists within this territory?
Day 3
On day three the team continues to explore the surrounding area while also having the opportunity to dine in Capitaine Homard restaurant, a casual lighthouse-style restaurant that serves fresh lobster and seafood classics in an original marine setting. The surrounding area is well served by several level 2 and level 3 charging stations, offering various EV charging options throughout the day. Once the daily activities were completed, they arrived at the Auberge Mange-Grenouille with open arms.
Day 4
Next destination: Café du Moussoneur in Rimouski. Richard O’Neill, artisan roaster and owner of the café, tells Alexandre and our team all about the making of a unique beverage specific to the Lower Saint Lawrence region. Afterwards, a stop at Coop Alina to fill up on local fresh produce. At only a few kilometers away, an EV fast charging station is located within the parking lot of the Tourist Office of Rimouski. Later in the day, the crew sits with Colombe Saint-Pierre on the premises of her maritime canteen where she explains the ties built between local producers and harvesters, further developing the region’s food autonomy.
Day 5
During a silent night, the crew’s electric vehicle was able to complete a charge on the site of the ÈRE 132, enabling them to leave early in the morning at 7 am to go to the nearby Reford Gardens. The gardens also have a charging station offered by the Circuit électrique in their parking lot.
In the beginning, long before our time, this was an area where the natives came. So it was really a passage for them that linked the North, South, East and West, explains Alexander Reford.
Day 6
At the at Ski Chic-Chocs office, this is where Alexandre and the ChargeHub team meet Stéphane Gagnon, who will be their mountain bike guide. Here where playing in the outdoors is their specialty, the Quebec company Ski Chic-Chocs has also organized a way to democratize the exploration of the land, by offering electric mountain bikes!
Day 7
To complete Go EVerywhere’s 1st road trip, Alexandre and the ChargeHub team head to Gaspé to visit Forillon National Park. A unique natural world, where the sea air mixes with the flowers of the fields and the boreal woods.
