Wakefield is a village on the western shore of the Gatineau River, at the confluence of the La Pêche River in the Outaouais region of Quebec. The village, named after the town of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, is now the southern edge of the municipality of La Pêche, and was founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish and English immigrants. It is approximately thirty minutes from Ottawa, Ontario driving north on Autoroute 5 and Route 105 at Route 366. During the summer, the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train, a tourist heritage railway operates between Wakefield and Gatineau.
The village's primary industry is tourism. The main attractions, in addition to a picturesque setting, are the covered bridge spanning the Gatineau River which many people jump off of even though it is worthy of a fine, and the recently restored Maclaren Mill, named after an early family in the region. The village also provides an access point to Gatineau Park at Lac Philippe. Recreational activities in and around the village include horseback riding, skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, golf, canoeing and kayaking. It is also known for having the highest bungee jump in the Americas at 200 feet. The village has developed a reputation for a somewhat bohemian lifestyle and boasts a number of small cafes, pubs and galleries. Many artists live in the surrounding mountains and valleys, including a Celtic jeweller, or painter Tiffany Teske. Public buildings include a hospital, elementary school, police station and library. A weekly regional newspaper, the Low Down to Hull and Back News, (a play on the Gatineau River communities from Low downstream to Hull) is also published in the village. Former Canadian prime minister Lester B. Pearson is buried at MacLaren Cemetery in Wakefield.
