The Quad Matapédien Festival, which took place in Amqui over the weekend, was a great success. More than 300 quad riders from across Quebec took part in this 21st evente Editing.
“We are particularly proud of this event, which allows us to present our routes to quad riders from all over the world,” explains the president of the Matapédia VTT Club, André Blouin. We have a whole team of volunteers, more than 50, involved in organizing and running this very special weekend. Without their commitment, such an event would not be possible. It’s like that year after year. Our people are proud. They want to introduce their routes and the region to as many quad riders from Quebec and elsewhere as possible. »
On site, the work of volunteers is laborious to properly prepare the trails visited.
“Volunteers have been working for months to clear the paths, adjust the signage and make them clearly visible. You should know that this year there were special events with strong winds that caused the paths in the north of the area to be blocked by fallen trees. Everything has grown so much in the south. Luckily, I have a team of generous people who aren’t afraid to get involved. We also receive many compliments and congratulations from visitors on the condition of our trail network,” continues Mr. Blouin.
Photo provided by Denis Lavoie of InfoQuad
Dedicated volunteers
During the two days of the event, volunteers at all levels were available and committed to the success of this major event.
“We prepare every year with one goal: to welcome the people who visit us,” continues André Blouin. This year’s edition follows the average of recent years. But to welcome and serve all these people, we must be ready at all levels. Whether at the meal, when registering or even with the commissioners who act as guides on the various hikes, good preparation is essential. »
The marshals are also trained at the various tourist locations where quad drivers stop so that they can explain everything to visitors.
The president of the Matapédia VTT Club, André Blouin, is rightly proud of the 21st edition of his festival. Photo provided by Denis Lavoie of InfoQuad
On Saturday evening, at the closing banquet, you could watch the volunteers prepare the food and serve it to all attendees. André Blouin also admits that you have to know what to do to stay at the top of the destination rankings.
“Once you get to the top it can be difficult to stay there, so it’s important to be able to count on a team like this. There are people who come to spend a week in our region before attending the festival. We have people from the Magdalene Islands, Montreal and other regions, which means our event contributes to the economy of our part of the country. We are missing some New Brunswick enthusiasts who can no longer ride our trails because the membership card they purchased from them, which was accepted in the past, is now no longer valid. It’s a significant loss, but given the turnout, I’m proud. »
So if you want to experience this great event you must book. The number of places is limited and the reception facilities are quickly booked out.
To find out more, visit the club’s website: clubvttdelamatapedia.com.
Road closures for hunting
As every year, from September 1st, several quad trails will be closed everywhere due to the hunting season. It is very important to adhere to these deadlines, on the one hand for your safety, but also to avoid loss of the right of way. The ZECs and certain game reserves are the most affected. For example, in the Réserve faunique des Laurentides the trail is closed until November 15th and in the Mastigouche reserve from tomorrow until October 17th. It is therefore important to carefully read the table on the Federation website at fqcq.qc.ca. Dates are subject to change and we can add more dates at any time. It would also be a good idea to contact your club and other clubs before planning a fall hike.
