The Gatineau Hills are a geological formation in Canada which represent the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains which stretch east through Quebec, beginning north of Montreal and joining up with others into Vermont and New Hampshire.
The geology of Gatineau Park, which encompass these foothills, is related to the Eardly Escarpment, which is a fault line that lies along the southern edge of the hills. This escarpment makes the part an attractive location for rock climbers and hikers, offering a beautiful view of the relatively flat fields below, which extend to the Ottawa River.
The Gatineau Hills are also significant as a skiing destination, serving the neighbouring communities of Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. Gatineau Park contains over 190km of cross-country trails, and plays host to the annual Keskinada Loppet competition. Downhill skiing is also available, at locations including Camp Fortune, Mont Cascades, and Vorlage. The hills are small compared to the ski areas in the northeast, such as Mont Tremblant and Mont Ste. Anne, or southeast in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York in the USA.
The location of the hills are also useful for communications, and a prominent communications tower at Camp Fortune provide a large portion of the area's broadcast television and radio signals.
The area is a prime tourist attraction, particularly during the October weeks when the foliage is turning colour. Photographs and paintings of the area are a popular tourist item.
Gatineau is perhaps best known as the city across the river from Ottawa, Canada's capital city, but what many may not realize is that Gatineau is a destination worth visiting in its own right, not merely as a minor distraction for visitors to Ottawa.
Gatineau is situated in the Outaouais region of Quebec, a region that is known for its vast supplies of lumber, and in its early days, Hull/Gatineau was largely run by wealthy lumber barons that exploited and profited from the land.
Gatineau is the home of the celebrated Canadian Museum of Civilization, which honours Canada's human history, from the early days of the First Nations people to the present-day population.
The Gatineau name was voted by the citizens of the new city in a referendum, despite the fact that "Hull-Gatineau" was the most popular choice in opinion polls, because the transition committee excluded hyphenated names from the ballot, and despite the fact that the Hull name had represented the earliest urban development in the area.
Gatineau is the city of license for several television and radio stations, although many more stations licensed to Ottawa are also available in the area.
Gatineau is also served primarily by daily newspapers published in Ottawa, including the French Le Droit and the English Ottawa Citizen, although a number of weekly community newspapers are published in Gatineau.
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