Mont Bellevue

Belle vue translates to "beautiful view" in English. The mountain, its park, and the borough in which it lies are named after "the magnificent landscape one discovers at its summit."{{toponymie|367745}}

The Université de Sherbrooke, built in 1954, originally used the land for sports, recreation, education, and research. In 1959, the City of Sherbrooke constructed the first ski lift on the mountain, signaling the beginning of the development of Mont Bellevue for public recreational purposes. Between 1959 and 1975, the city reserved 45 hectares of land for alpine skiing, tennis, archery, and various trails.

In 1976, the City of Sherbrooke undertook park management and maintenance. To this day, the City of Sherbrooke continues to improve the park with consideration for the environment through the Regroupement du Mont Bellevue organization.{{Cite web | last = City of Sherbrooke | author-link = Sherbrooke | title = Un peu d'histoire | date = 24 March 2010 | url = http://www.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/webconcepteur/web/VilledeSherbrooke/fr/ext/nav/Basesdepleinairurbaines/ParcduMontBellevue/Unpeudhistoire.html?iddoc=124450&page=details.jsp | access-date = 1 June 2011 | language = French | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121216020612/http://www.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/webconcepteur/web/VilledeSherbrooke/fr/ext/nav/Basesdepleinairurbaines/ParcduMontBellevue/Unpeudhistoire.html?iddoc=124450&page=details.jsp | archive-date = 16 December 2012 }}

In August 2013, Mont Bellevue was one of the venues for the Canada Games. In preparation for the event, the Club de vélo de montagne de Sherbrooke was granted CA $300,000 for the improvement of the park's mountain bike course.{{cite journal|title=Borough of Mont-Bellevue|journal=InfoSherbrookois|date=Autumn 2013|volume=9|issue=2|url=http://www.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/fileadmin/fichiers/Communications/InfoSherbrookois/2013/11-Mont-Bellevue_ANG.pdf|access-date=5 August 2014|publisher=City of Sherbrooke}}{{rp|151}}

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Mont Bellevue houses a small alpine skiing station that has six tracks and a chalet at which visitors may rent skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing equipment.{{cite web|title=Location d'équipement (taxes incluses) - Ville de Sherbrooke|url=http://www.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/fr/sous-site/bases-de-plein-air-urbaines/parc-du-mont-bellevue/station-de-ski/location-dequipement-taxes-incluses/|publisher=City of Sherbrooke|access-date=5 August 2014|language=French}} Other winter activities available in the park include cross-country skiing, winter walking, and snow tubing. Summer visitors may participate in hiking, mountain biking, cycling, archery, tennis, jogging, and geocaching.

Wildlife observers often view deer, squirrels, groundhogs and chipmunks in the park. Less commonly observed mammals include porcupine, skunks, foxes and raccoons. Among the many types of avian species in the mountain, birders may view blue jays, cardinals, wood thrush, veery, and ruffed grouse. Reptiles on the mountain include brown snakes and garter snakes, while numerous types of amphibians, molluscs, and insects also occupy the space.

A variety of wildflowers, ferns, trees, edible plants, and fungus inhabit the mountain.

Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/72443342@N04/sets/72157635375816640/|title=Mont Bellevue Park Flickr stream|access-date=6 August 2014}}

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• Trout lilies
• Pink turtlehead
• Lily of the valley
• Foamflower
• Blue cohosh
• Pink streptope
• Solomon's seal
• Painted trillium
• Pink lady's slipper
• Jack-in-the-pulpit
• Common hemp-nettle
• Euphrasia
• Silvery cinquefoil
• Common mullein
• Indian pipe
• Pinesap
• Ground pine

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• Ramps
• Horseradish
• Blueberry
• Juneberry
• Raspberry and wineberry
• Nannyberry
• Blackberry
• Chokecherry
• Apple
• Wild strawberry
• Elderberry

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Source:

• Striped maple
• American basswood

Buckthorn, honeysuckle, and Japanese knotweed are among the invasive plants on the mountain.

The black slug ({{langx|fr|limace géante}}, {{lang|fr|limace noire}}) is an invasive pest native to Europe that was transported to the area during the construction of the Université de Sherbrooke in the 1950s. Windows imported from England in wooden crates padded with straw are thought to have contained eggs from the pest.{{cite news|last1=Allard|first1=Ghislain|title=Sherbrooke envahi par les limaces|url=http://fr.canoe.ca/artdevivre/animal/article1/2012/06/07/19848276-qmi.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140806210021/http://fr.canoe.ca/artdevivre/animal/article1/2012/06/07/19848276-qmi.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 6, 2014|access-date=4 August 2014|agency=Agence QMI|publisher=Canoe.ca|date=7 June 2012|language=French}}

From there, they took to the Mont Bellevue Park, where the soil humidity is conducive to their locomotion,{{cite news|last1=Bouchard|first1=Marie-Christine|title=Les limaces géantes envahissent à nouveau le secteur du mont Bellevue|url=http://www.lapresse.ca/la-tribune/sherbrooke/200907/24/01-886874-les-limaces-geantes-envahissent-a-nouveau-le-secteur-du-mont-bellevue.php|access-date=4 August 2014|publisher=La Tribune|date=24 July 2009|language=French}} and where their massive size and lack of shell means they easily outcompete native species. The black slug also has few natural predators in North America, meaning it is a threat to the stability of the ecosystems on the mountain.{{cite news|last1=Allard|first1=Ghislain|title=La Ville se lance dans l'éradication des limaces géantes|url=http://www.lejournaldesherbrooke.ca/2009/04/16/la-ville-se-lance-dans-leradication-des-limaces-geantes|access-date=4 August 2014|publisher=Journal de Sherbrooke|date=16 April 2009|language=French}}

There is concern that the molluscs might spread to other parts of town via accidental transportation by automobiles that stay for long periods of time in the Mont Bellevue or university parking areas.

In 2008, residents of the Mont-Bellevue and Mont-Sainte-Anne sectors surrounding the park reported major issues with the critters, who are known for decimating gardens. City councillors deferred their complaints to provincial ministers.{{cite news|title=Des citoyens aux prises avec d'énormes limaces|url=http://tvanouvelles.ca/infos/regional/archives/2008/06/20080618-185744.html|access-date=4 August 2014|publisher=LCN|language=French|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140806210138/http://tvanouvelles.ca/infos/regional/archives/2008/06/20080618-185744.html|archive-date=6 August 2014}}

In early 2009, the city drew up plans to pursue the eradication of the slugs, granting CA $12,000 to Environtel 3000 so the company could analyze the scope and distribution of the pests. However, that summer saw yet another worrisome abundance of the pest.

The report revealed that 15-20% of the slugs begin their reproductive cycle early, allowing for the growth of two generations per year instead of one. Warm autumns and winters, as well as wet springs and summers, promote the growth of the slug population.{{cite journal|url=https://www.usherbrooke.ca/udes/magazine/lire/vol3-no1/a-la-une/index.html@tx_igttnewsshared%5Btt_news%5D=5385.html|title=La bête qui voyait l'homme|work=Planification stratégique 2010-2015|publisher=Université de Sherbrooke|date=June 2010|volume=3|issue=1|access-date=6 August 2014|language=French}}{{rp|24}}

Following the report, the city began the production of informative brochures detailing the steps homeowners can take to get rid of the pests on their properties.{{cite web|url=http://www.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/fileadmin/fichiers/environnementsherbrooke.ca/Trucsetastuceslimaces.pdf|title=Trucs et astuces: pour une chasse à la limace... efficace!|publisher=City of Sherbrooke|access-date=6 August 2014|language=French}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{in lang|fr}} [https://archive.today/20121216020255/http://www.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca/webconcepteur/web/VilledeSherbrooke/fr/ext/nav/Basesdepleinairurbaines/ParcduMontBellevue.html?iddoc=97398 Official website for the park]
• {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20140810193024/http://www.maplusbellevue.ca/ Official website of the Regroupement du Parc du Mont-Bellevue]

{{Mountains of Quebec}}

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Category:Landforms of Sherbrooke

Category:Mountains of Quebec under 1000 metres

Category:Ski areas and resorts in Quebec

Category:Protected areas of Estrie

Category:Landforms of Estrie