Quebec granted on September 8 a sum of approximately $ 390,000 to the City of Rivière-du-Loup to extend an off-road vehicle trail from Beaubien Street to Cartier Boulevard, in order to allow snowmobile enthusiasts and mountain biking to have access to the various services offered there. A project that dated from the early 2000s and had not yet come to fruition.
“This is an old project that will allow snowmobilers and ATV riders to fill up with gasoline, and to take advantage of accommodation and catering in this sector. This is a plus for our tourism industry. We've been talking about it for 20 years, ”explained the member for Rivière-du-Loup-Témiscouata, Denis Tardif. The latter described his announcement as "excellent news" for the economy of Rivière-du-Loup. The Trans-Québec 85 trail, which goes to New Brunswick, will thus be extended from route 291 to Boulevard Cartier, in Rivière-du-Loup.
“Due to urban development in Rivière-du-Loup, off-road vehicle enthusiasts have gradually lost their access. It's a problem that had to be solved […] Touristically, it pays a lot, we want people to be able to go to the North Shore, to have packages, to come back after spending a day on the other side. of the river ”, illustrates the mayoress of Rivière-du-Loup, Sylvie Vignet. The project is valued at just over half a million dollars, of which $ 390,000 is funded by Quebec and $ 125,000 comes from the City of Rivière-du-Loup. The rest of the funding was provided by various partners.
“What helped us unlock was that we used the old railroad to trade land with different owners. That's a lot of people with whom to find agreements. The clubs work in partnership to move in the same direction, ”explains Ms. Vignet. Access to the trail, from the Manne Rouge grounds, will therefore be secure for the next few years.
A new tool that will improve the tourist attractiveness of Rivière-du-Loup for ATV and snowmobile enthusiasts who can now stop there to fill their gas tanks or even spend a few nights there, summer or winter.