In 1997, Michel Leclair developed the idea of sharing his precious knowledge on the beaver and its habitat following the purchase of his vast property in Wakefield. The concept of the water maze came to him from the beavers that he worked alongside for 35 years; the beaver, upon settling in a habitat, digs a network of underwater canals that are similar to a labyrinth. This network allows it to move around throughout the entire year in order to find food and wood to build dams.

So what does one do with 70 acres of land? Michel did a vast water maze with an interwoven canal system, to allow those who wish to discover in true beaver fashion, the richness of the marsh environment. During your paddle boat journey through the marsh, you will experience the environment from a beaver perspective. In fact, aboard the paddle boat, you will be just above the water surface, which will focus your field of vision to the labyrinths edges, putting you directly in contact with plants and wildlife located there. In addition, thanks to the dams build by beavers, the water level in the maze is controlled. With the table set, all that remained, with the help of family and friends, was to refine the elements that would give birth to the Eco-Odyssée project.