SAINTE-AGATHE-DES-MONTS | With over 10,000 registrations it's the 13the The edition of the open day on snowmobile trails in Quebec, which took place last weekend, proved to be a success for the organizers.
“We are happy to be able to discover the trails that volunteers create and maintain every winter,” says Réal Camiré, president of the Fédération des Clubs de Motoneigistes du Québec (FCMQ). »
The director general, Stéphane Desroches, came to support his president.
“Our statistics prove it: the open days enchant our participants, because on average over the last four years, 20% of participants become members the following year. »
The organization of the hike was entrusted to Michel Garneau (standing), who did an excellent job. Photo provided by Karl Tremblay
During my stay at a hotel in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, everything was reserved primarily for snowmobilers. There were so many trailers that it was almost impossible to access much of the parking lot. Our cousins to the south were numerous, especially since several American states don't have enough snow to open trails.
Great return
The Laurentides region was for a time notorious for the famous P'tit Train du Nord hiking trail. After years of effort and work by a handful of enthusiasts led by Roland Leroy, a bypass was created. We were able to drive on part of this path.
So it was a return of snowmobiling to this region.
“A study carried out by Sigma Research in winter 2019 showed that in the Laurentides region, which has 21 clubs and 2,330 kilometers of trails, snowmobiling generates an economic benefit of 34.3 million,” explained the association's CEO, Stéphane Desroches . Remember that this data is from 2019, before the opening of the Mont-Tremblant bypass. The restoration of this north-south connection has certainly led to an increase in economic contribution since then. »
During his speech at the press conference, the DG wanted to thank the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Public Security, represented by Ms. France-Élaine Duranceau, Minister of Housing and MP for Bertrand, Ms. Andrée Laforest and Ms. Chantale Jeannotte, MP for Labelle and parliamentary Assistant to the Secretary of Housing, for her financial contribution of $16,000 to the Côte-Morrison labor file. The goal of this work, the total cost of which was more than $30,000, was to address rock falls that threatened the safety of snowmobilers.
People on the streets
The trails were busy during our hike, mostly because of the open gates, but also because there was snow in the area. This is the first winter in a long time in which several regions of Quebec will lack snow at the same time. With a few exceptions, the snow cover is not very large, so the season is likely to end quite early.
Because of this, there is a large concentration of snowmobilers in one place. During the hike, I really liked the behavior of the snowmobilers we passed. They slowed down and used hand signals to let us know the size of their group.
Be sure to respect signs and speed limits and stay on the trails. As we have early season conditions, caution is advised.