The last big project I contributed to in 2009 was both a pleasure and a privilege. Not only did I get to work with humbly hip agency Cloudraker, but I also got a sneak peak into arguably one of the next decade’s most groundbreaking tourism/resort development: Le Massif de Charlevoix.

The brainchild of Cirque du Soleil co-founder (the one on earth) Daniel Gauthier, Le Massif de Charlevoix is a recreo-resort-tourism project designed to leverage the magic inherent to the area. What makes this project so special is how they are going about it. We have just ended an era where the magic of a place was carefully crafted from a combination of local culture and luxury consumerism, neatly packaged in high-end trappings then sold to the upper class as their personal playgrounds. What Gauthier has envisioned for Charlevoix is the antithesis of the usual private fantasyland and the answer to resort-goers everywhere who yearn for something more soi dit, “authentic.”

“Le Massif de Charlevoix” is the mountain/ski station (which the project bought outright), a bioclimatic hotel-farm and a uber-modern destination train that takes you to the resort and across the land in style. Gauthier’s authenticity is implied by his approach to this development, which is to work with what has made the region a favoured destination for decades: incredible landscapes, untamed wilderness, gorgeous food and lovely people, and simply make them more accessible and more known. The train leaves from Quebec City, heads along the scenic coastline to the foot of the mountain, then on to the hotel known as simply “La Ferme” (the Farm) at Baie St. Paul, which boasts a working farm and a farmer’s market.

Where most North American resorts offer polished, sterile notions of local culture, Le Massif makes local culture the star. From food, to architecture, to the outdoor experience, the people and places of Charlevoix are the main attractions, with luxury transportation, accommodations and skiing helping to lure the luxury experience seeker. Yet as with any new take on an original or creation of a new ‘experience,’ the issue of authenticity appears like an invigilator: does the creation of a brand out of a real place instantly eliminate the possibility of true authenticity? If so, are there degrees of authenticity? And how do we gauge where consumer expectations lie?

Whether you have intimate knowledge of Charlevoix’s rhapsodic natural beauty or not, the website created by Cloudraker is enough to have it added to your list of places to see before you die. Its highly visual, frankly cinematic design gives you an eyeful while still managing to be highly informative and leaving just enough to the imagination.

See out more here.