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The Lachine rapids were the main reason for Montreal's foundation, the europeans could not get past them.
Although we now also offer rides that are staying near the Old Port, the history of Saute-Moutons is closely related to the Lachine Rapids.
The rapids are about 3 miles (4.8 km) in length. In the past these represented a considerable barrier to maritime traffic. Until the construction of the Lachine Canal through Montreal, the rapids had to be portaged. Even with the canal, the difficulty was such that it was usually more convenient to ship goods by rail to Montreal, where they could be loaded at the city’s port.
The large steamboats that came down the Cornwall River made a stop at the Native American reserve to pick up a chief who steered the large ship through the rapids. [...] the inhabitants and the tourists skirted the coast to attend the spectacle of these large boats. It was the main attraction in Montreal for a hundred years.
It is with the same spirit of adventure, wonder and exploration that we founded Saute-Moutons in 1983.
The name makes reference to the kids game “leap frog” in french. For our purpose it means the boats that jump the white caps, i.e. the rapids.