The leaders of the Fédération des Clubs de motoreigistes du Québec (FCMQ) and the Fédération québécoise des Clubs Quads (FQCQ) have renewed the agreement that allows the sharing of certain routes across Quebec.
The two presidents, Réal Camiré for the FCMQ and Réjean Blouin for the FQCQ, used the last Quebec Snowmobile and Quad Show to sign the agreement.
“Our association is trying by all means to reach agreements with its partners and other associations in order to optimize the use of the funds from the sale of access rights for the benefit of its members,” explained the president of the FQCQ, Réjean Blouin. We want to offer them permanent and safe paths. »
For his part, the president of the FCMQ, Réal Camiré, issued the following statement: “As president of the Fédération des Clubs de Motoneigistes du Québec, I would like to acknowledge the joint efforts made in renewing this agreement.” The safety of our members is at the heart of ours action. »
The agreement takes stock of the mechanisms for sharing and sharing trails. His statement is very clear: mixed trails should only be used in exceptional cases and for the shortest possible safety distance. For both organizations, mixed trails are not really desirable and should be viewed primarily as temporary.
There are sometimes situations where shared use is necessary and profitable for both organizations, for example in the case of a bridge or a very limited right of way granted by an owner. We can also think about access to specific service points or even the topography of the site.
A REGISTER
In order to properly define the markings of these temporary shared paths, field work is being carried out to create a register of them.
The agreement stipulates that all mixed trails in Quebec must be identified and registered. A procedure will be introduced to separate paths that are classified as less safe. This work is carried out by the liaison officers and clubs of the two associations. The costs associated with this entire operation will be financed from the Trail Break Fund, in which the two associations will each invest $50,000.
By working together, the two associations ensure the sustainability of the hiking trails for their respective members. Instead of doing everything twice, sometimes we can work together to find a solution that is interesting for everyone. This is what the two associations are doing with this new three-year agreement. Nowadays, the creation and maintenance of a network of paths, with all the pitfalls that the volunteers of both associations face, is a considerable effort.