Parc Omega, a 2,200-acre wildlife safari park in Montebello, Quebec, about an hour from Montreal and Ottawa, lets visitors hand-feed deer from their car windows and see bears, moose, bison and wolves up close.
A lunch visit turns into a bear encounter
During a trip to Ottawa, Canada's capital city, the writer arrived at Parc Omega for lunch, seated at a table surrounded by glass windows looking out onto a wooded area and a lake. Minutes into the meal, a big mama bear, followed by her three cubs, wandered into view just a couple of metres away, separated by the windows. Moments later, two baby arctic foxes tumbled over each other just outside.
Before starting the safari, the main activity of the day, the group had been eating lunch beside the park's nursery, populated by younger or more vulnerable animals before they are ready to roam the reserve. From there, they collected carrots - sold at the Park House, though visitors can bring their own - before heading to a car driven by one of the park's staff members and animal experts for the tour.
Driving through 12 kilometres of wildlife
Practical tips for visitors include bringing binoculars for a proper look at rodents and birds, tuning into FM 88.1 during the drive for context, and avoiding the 11 am-2 pm window when the park is at its busiest. The route follows a signposted 12-kilometre path, with a total driving time of around an hour and a half, winding through more than twenty species native to the northern hemisphere.
The first species encountered were not shy - deer came close to the windows in search of carrots, which the group fed to cervids including fallow deer, red deer, caribou, elk and moose, all sharing the terrain in different pockets of the reserve alongside bison, black bear, wild boar and a wolverine. Wolves - grey, arctic and black - are visible from the car, but visitors can also see them up close at the wolf observatory in Sector 11, separated only by glass, with presentations running three times a day.
Beyond the driving route
Sector 11 has an aerial boardwalk that takes visitors tree to tree above the reserve, a scattering of picnic areas in pedestrian zones, and several hiking trails. For families, The Old Farm, dating back to 1847, has resident animals and its own picnic spots, open daily until 5.30pm. Naturalist-led presentations run throughout the day, covering beavers, wolverines and birds of prey, with the latter run in partnership with conservation groups studying the park's falconry programme.
The park also includes the Land of Pioneers, where free-roaming deer and more farm animals can be found alongside lessons on New France history, and Trout Lake, where visitors can feed fish as well as deer in summer or winter. Overnight stays are available in Wolf Cottages positioned for direct wolf-watching, Panoramic Chalets overlooking deer terrain, cosy Pods, and Ready-to-Camp options deep in the forest.
The park is tied to a foundation working on species protection and habitat preservation, running conservation and breeding programmes for threatened species and partnering with local schools to teach about animal welfare and conservation.
Day tickets range from $19 for children aged 2-5 up to $49 for adults, with the park open daily from 9 am between June and September 2026. Overnight stays include park admission and require a car. Air Transat offers direct flights from London Gatwick to Ottawa with return fares from £357 per person.
