When the Forest and the Spirits Shape an Identity
The Boréalys universe is rooted in the soul of the Laurentians. It draws inspiration from untamed nature and from stories whispered through the generations. It is like venturing into the heart of the forest, engulfed in the mist, where beams of light sometimes break through—sunrays gently filtering through the canopy. Each step reveals the memory of the place, in a region shaped by folklore and imbued with Québec culture.
The vision of this universe was built collectively by the team over several months. Indeed, it is the result of a creative process requiring months of reflection and the contribution of so many voices.
THE NAME… A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF!
It’s true; we could have named the race Mont-Tremblant by UTMB. We had countless discussions over the details: should it be Tremblant by UTMB, Ultra-Trail Mont-Tremblant by UTMB (UTMT by UTMB!?!!), or simply Trail Tremblant by UTMB? We’ll spare you the details, but you can be assured that EVERY single variation was debated!
In the end, none of the proposals sparked pride within the team. We wanted this race to represent us on the world stage. We wanted to showcase our Québec, our culture. We brainstormed endlessly. The choice of the name occupied our minds and fuelled our conversations for weeks. Finally, Audrey suggested BORÉALYS: a contraction of the words boreal and lys (the French word for lily and one of Québec’s most emblematic symbols). These two words perfectly represent the alliance of nature and culture that defines the race. This then became the foundation for developing the entire universe of the event.
THE NARRATIVE
Through the brainstorming process to find the name, we also had many discussions about the experience we wanted to offer participants. Mont Tremblant itself, with its peaks Pic White, Edge, Pic Johansson, and Timber naturally figured strongly in our discussions, but so did the Devil’s River, Mont Saint-Bernard, and other regional landmarks.
These discussions about the environment and natural beauty of the place intertwined with other ideas about celebrating history and culture. Many exchanges were inspired by the First Nations’ story of a spirit or a devil named Manitou who makes the mountain tremble, a legend at the origin of Mont Tremblant’s name. Ultimately, it was the Québec legend of the chasse-galerie that resonated the most with our collective vision of the experience we wanted to offer runners. We imagined runners making their own pact with the spirits in order to return to the village at the end of a long and mysterious adventure. It is from all these exchanges that the following narrative framework was developed:
Boréalys Mont-Tremblant immerses participants in the world of Québec folklore, with the legend of the chasse-galerie as its backdrop. More than just an ultra-trail, it is a true journey between darkness and light, from the shadows of the forest to the redemptive return to the Tremblant village steeple.
Runners seal a pact with the spirits for the right to tread the trembling mountain and thus reach the Devil’s River, said to hold a source of precious stones.
On two conditions: learn French… a joke, or perhaps not… and return before the Angelus tolls.
The ultra where forest, devil, and spirits meet.
A VISUAL IDENTITY TO DEVELOP… NOT AN EASY TASK!
Armed with this narrative framework describing the experience we wanted to create, the team had to develop a visual identity in just three weeks!
With Audrey’s support, Karine was able to capture the spirit of the event by creating a visual identity that immerses us in the Boréalys universe. They had to go through many ideas and iterations before reaching the final result. From early versions overloaded with elements that made the logo difficult to read, they shifted toward a more refined version that emphasizes the region’s defining features.
The shape of the logo mimics the profile of Mont Tremblant with the White, Timber, and Edge peaks. The presence of Pic Johansson in the background is implied, through the layering of mountains and hills—an emblematic landscape of the Laurentians. The lunar sun behind the mountain evokes the dichotomies of light/shadow, day/night. It leaves the observer with the impression that it could be rising or setting, depending on each runner’s epic journey.
The overlapping shades of green give the feeling of being deep within the Laurentian Forest. The texture itself evokes a bird’s-eye view of conifers and deciduous trees. Together, this interplay of shades and textures perfectly reflects the unique environment of Mont Tremblant.
Finally, the underlining of the “O” in BORÉALYS suggests the omnipresence of spirits on the mountain. One feels observed, watched—like an eye keeping vigil over the runner’s entire journey—without ever really knowing whether it is a benevolent or malevolent presence.
It’s funny, I hadn’t yet seen the photos taken for the website when I worked on the colours… but in the end, when you look at them side by side, those really are the colours and textures of Mont Tremblant!
A UNIQUE UNIVERSE TO DEVELOP TOGETHER
This is the story of the very beginnings of the Boréalys Mont-Tremblant by UTMB universe. It is the story of a collective effort led by Karine Corbeil, supported by Audrey Granger, and involving contributions from the whole project team (Sébastien Côté, Samuel Matte-Thibault, Alexandre Provost, Alexandre Koch, Frédéric Ménard, and Marilyne Tremblay). Now it’s up to all of us—runners, volunteers, collaborators, and partners—to expand and develop this universe to create a unique experience that proudly represents our Québecois identity.
