In La Pocatière, Bas-Saint-Laurent, creator Luc Pelletier has transformed a corn field along Route 132 into the Grand labyrinthe Kamouraska, where aerial views reveal walking paths shaped into a massive “OUI.” According to Pelletier, the design serves as a playful nod to Quebec sovereignty, though he emphasizes that it remains fundamentally a maze of paths carved into a field of corn.
Did You Know? In 2022, creator Luc Pelletier earned a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest corn maze, featuring corridors totaling nearly 21 kilometers.
The Evolution of a Unique Business in La Pocatière
Pelletier operates what he describes as one of the most unusual occupations in Quebec, summarizing his livelihood with the phrase, “I make a living by getting people lost.” Since 2017, the former commercial and tourist development agent for the Town of La Pocatière has lived almost exclusively off his corn maze operations. Each summer, according to his accounts, he rents a field from a neighbour, maps the layout by hand, and welcomes visitors.
The concept originated in 2014 when Pelletier was tasked with organizing local Halloween activities. Finding a single weekend event too brief, he sought to build an attraction spanning the entire month of October. When his contract ended three years later, he requested to take over the project independently and launched his business. Today, visitors arrive from across Quebec and from international locations, including a group of roughly twenty children from a holiday camp who visited on a recent Friday.
Navigating the Grand Labyinthe Kamouraska Paths
The layout presents a substantial challenge to visitors who attempt the course. Statistics compiled by Pelletier indicate that fewer than 10 percent of visitors successfully complete the route in the correct order without cheating. While Pelletier himself takes roughly an hour and a half to traverse the entire circuit, last year’s most persistent participants spent up to seven hours inside the stalks. For those who choose to exit early, Pelletier provides a designated escape route known as the “path of shame.”
Constructing the attraction requires meticulous physical labor. Pelletier begins each iteration on a scaled sheet of paper before measuring the terrain by hand and ripping out corn plants to form the pathways. The tracing and clearing process demands between 60 and 70 hours of work. Furthermore, the layout continuously expands throughout the summer season as Pelletier introduces new sections and paths. While the current pathway stretches between 7 and 8 kilometers—shorter than his record-breaking 2022 setup—the maze remains dynamic from its opening day onward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the maze design represent?
According to creator Luc Pelletier, the “OUI” shaped paths in the corn field reference the sovereignty of Quebec, while also functioning purely as a recreational maze.
How difficult is it to complete the course?
Statistics compiled by Pelletier show that fewer than 10 percent of visitors manage to finish the route correctly without cheating, with some participants spending up to seven hours inside the paths last year.
How is the maze constructed?
Pelletier draws a scaled plan on paper, measures the terrain by hand, and manually removes corn plants to create pathways, investing 60 to 70 hours into the initial tracing and clearing.
Would you trust your sense of direction enough to attempt a seven-hour corn maze without taking the exit early?
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