The National Trail, that long, more or less continuous ribbon that traverses much of Quebec, is well on its way to expanding. Last July, the Quebec government announced an investment of $2.7 million for the development of new sections and the modernization of existing sections.
Updated at 9:30am yesterday.
Established trail managers had until November 10th to submit projects. They did not deprive themselves. “There is really a great mobilization of the community,” says Grégory Flayol, program director at Rando Québec, the association that will analyze the projects and make recommendations to the Ministry of Sport, Recreation and Outdoors.
“It allows us to reach a higher level,” says Mr. Flayol. In recent years there has been financial support through standardized programs from the Ministry of Education, but now we can have more structured development plans at local and regional levels with a measure dedicated to the National Path. It also enabled the remobilization of many actors. »
In Outaouais, the municipalities of Val-des-Bois, Lac-Simon, Montpellier and Duhamel have worked together to connect Val-des-Bois with Duhamel. If the project is selected, a large section of 70 kilometers will traverse the Papineau-Labelle wildlife refuge.
“There was already a cross-country ski trail,” notes Richard Chartrand, one of the creators of the Route des Zingues, part of the National Trail that runs north of Duhamel. “The reserve didn’t take care of it, there was deforestation, which ultimately discouraged everyone. The 2.7 million funding program, which aims to connect disconnected sections of road, is exactly the right thing! »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The National Trail in Lanaudière is almost finished, but improvements are needed in some places.
Richard Chartrand has another project in mind: connecting the northern terminus of the Route des Zingues at Lac Marie-Lefranc with the southern terminus of the L’Héritage trail in Labelle. It is a small section of 15 kilometers that would connect the Outaouais with the Laurentians and Lanaudière. “I suggested a slightly strange name: the Oulala Crossing. »
However, the municipality of La Minerve, where the new section was supposed to run, showed little interest. This does not discourage Mr. Chartrand. “We’ll be back with that next year,” he says. I’m like a pike, I won’t let go. »
Rando Québec actually hopes that the government will continue the program next year with a new subsidy.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
We want to connect the Bras du Nord valley (seen here) with the Portneuf Regional Park.
Projects are now also underway in other regions of Quebec.
“A collective is currently being organized in the Rimouski region to possibly propose a route from Rimouski to the Portes de l’enfer gorge and then to Neigette Falls [Saint-Anaclet]says Gregory Fayol. Work is also underway on the Portneuf Regional Park to connect it to the Bras du Nord valley. »
In Lanaudière we want to complete small sections of just a few kilometers, but above all we want to modernize the aging infrastructure.
A desired ecological corridor
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
The Réal Martel pedestrian bridge pays homage to the contribution of one of the fathers of the national route.
At Rando Québec we want to maintain the existing infrastructure and trails. “There are many dangers when the path goes through public land,” explains Mr Flayol. The main actor is the Ministry of Resources and Forests, which can dispose of what is produced in the forest as it wishes. »
Currently, the National Trail only has 30 meters of protection on each side. “This bank strip can collapse with the slightest gust of wind,” complains Grégory Flayol. So we lose the path, we lose the quality of the landscape and we lose biodiversity. »
Rando Québec has therefore partnered with the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP Québec) to assess the ecosystems that the trail passes through and study the mechanisms to protect them.
The partners recommend a protection zone of 300 meters on each side of the path. This would protect 35 wildlife species and 71 plant species with precarious status.
“This is more than what we find in Mont-Tremblant Park, the largest national park in Quebec with a smaller area,” notes Mr. Flayol.
We would be talking about a real ecological corridor. “With 300 meters on either side, we believe there is a loss of gain for other stakeholders in the public forest, be it forestry or the mining industry, compared to the environmental, health and safety gains that come with heritage, culture and tourism “We could do something by protecting this area,” claims Mr. Flayol.
Rando Québec has another card in play to promote the National Trail: a short film by Annie-Claude Roberge, L’aventure à pied, which will soon be released in cinemas in Montreal and then in the regions crossed by the Trail.
An initial version of this text indicated that municipalities and organizations were entitled to submit projects. Rather, they are established trail managers.
Number of the week
94
This is the number of protected areas traversed or bordered by the National Trail.
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Hard work
Beavers work hard to do forestry work.