Cîmes et Racines is a family-owned ecotourism business that rents 14 rustic ecolodges in the forest, with no water or electricity, on a 175-acre estate. The most popular of these cottages is without a doubt the “hobbit”, the first underground living for rental in Quebec. On site, one can also find a few kilometres of forest trails and paths, a maze, three streams, bridges and a treasure hunt. Throughout the years, Entre Cimes et Racines was the recipient of several tourism excellence awards in Quebec.

This family-owned business is now run by one of the four shareholders, François-Xavier Berger, who took it over in 2016.

CAE Memphrémagog has supported Entre Cîmes et Racines since its inception. Mr. Berger says: “Many people were skeptical of our cabins in the wood project, but the CAE believed in it. They particularly helped us when I wanted to realize a dream I have had for 20 years, that of running the family business. Despite my lack of management experience and a balance sheet that wasn’t always convincing, the advisors at the CAE were able to listen and meet our needs adequately. I really appreciated their accessibility, their flexibility and the references we had access to thanks to their many contacts in the community.”

The CAE has helped finance the construction of several ecolodges, the service garage, the reception building and assisted the transfer process from one generation to the next.