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Zec Martin Valin


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  • 2 weeks later...

 I registered for the ZEC site but did not complete an "activity" yet and was wondering what you get for a record when you do?  Will they email a receipt to show an agent if needed or do I have to print something out?

 

 

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We got an emailed receipt with the dates and amount paid. Printed that out and carried with us. Didn’t get checked the 2 days we rode in the Zec but were covered just in case.

Interesting thing we discovered when registering is that we chose 3 days as we weren’t really sure when we were headed that way but the site only charged us for 1 day even though it listed 3 days on the receipt.

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https://www.lequotidien.com/2023/03/08/des-motoneigistes-boycottent-les-monts-valin-8b9a64bcb39ee55126b5ec6b83324c1e?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR07FSF4kOV9YLBusqGwGKaDDKqUfVD_f3xrRJl2NCBR0A8s8MnenxBIFj8#Echobox=1678237750

Snowmobilers boycott Monts Valin

CHRONICLE / The Monts Valin are being boycotted by snowmobilers and tourism businesses are paying the price. The saga of the "$400 tickets", given by the patrollers of the Martin-Valin zec to snowmobilers who have not paid their right of way, has spread like wildfire.

"We announce that there is currently a boycott of the Valin Mountains and we are paying the price. Tourists are talking to each other on social networks. There are petitions from customers who are also circulating against these ways! No matter how many tickets are issued, the damage is done! The snowmobilers BOUDENT the Monts Valin", wrote the owners of the Domaine l'Or-Piste outfitter and snowmobile relay in an email addressed to the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay

Cry of the heart

"The diplomatic line and the correspondence with the MRCs, the ministers and the tourist associations are over. Nothing is happening, the clientele is boycotting us and the Martin-Valin zec continues to give $400 infraction tickets to snowmobilers who travel on their territory. It doesn't make sense, my dining room has been empty for two weeks. On Saturday, I had two customers sitting at a table when usually there is a line outside", denounces the innkeeper who shares his distress with the Auberge du km 31 and the Relais La Chapelle, which manage tourist operations under a cover of more than 10 feet of snow.

"Two weeks ago, I had four snowmobilers sitting at the Inn and they were depressed. They had come in from the North Shore and they had each received a $400 ticket [for riding without access rights]. I didn't know what to tell them, they ate soup, it spoiled their appetite. They left saying they would never come back to the Valin Mountains. The word went out on social networks, the snowmobilers launched a boycott of Monts Valin, it will hurt the tourism industry," says Charles Marchand, innkeeper at Domaine l'Or-Piste.

On the one hand, the Ministry of Tourism invests in the Valin Mountains for the development of winter tourism and on the other hand, the Zec Martin Valin under the reign of the Ministry of Wildlife and Parks, harms and puts obstacles to tourists. Ministers Caroline Proulx and Andrée Laforest should discuss this with Minister Benoit Charrette! and this, urgently!", wrote the owners of Domaine l'Or-Piste to the MRC.

"We are a start-up business that has lived through two years of pandemic and we have just opened the restaurant Le Saloon in the middle of the forest in January 2023 with all the issues of being on an unorganized territory (TNO), we can tell you that this saga initiated by the Martin-Valin zec is too much! Finally, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, because our restaurant has experienced an excellent start with a satisfied clientele from Quebec, Ontario, France, Switzerland, the United States and we see ourselves as a trigger for adventure tourism on the Valin Mountains during the winter, "he denounces in his letter.

 

It has to stop

The people of Domaine l'Or-Piste, Auberge du km 31 and Relais La Chapelle are right to say that enough is enough. Frankly, the tourist industry of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean invests considerable sums of money to attract snowmobilers to the white gold paradise of Monts Valin and the management of the Martin-Valin Zec scares away tourists by issuing infraction tickets to tourists who cross their territory.

It's time for a minister to stand up and tell the administrators of the Martin-Valin ZEC not to respect the law, to let snowmobilers ride on federated trails and to launch a national appeal on social networks and in the media in general to let people know that this practice no longer exists and that tourists are welcome in the snowmobile paradise, without fear of being double-billed

No reaction

At the office of Tourisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, the general management has indicated that it will not grant an interview on the subject. "Tourism Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean is aware of the situation and has been working with local partners since the beginning of the winter to find a solution. The ATR is aware of the comments made by clients and is concerned about the long-term effects on the destination, particularly on businesses in the sector. However, they are not in a position to know the impact at this time. It is wrong to believe that the client will systematically choose another destination, since the region offers many other alternatives, sectors and tours that are very interesting for the snowmobiler, which is why it is still too early to make a decision at this stage," said the organization by email

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If you are issued a ticket by "ZEC" police, I would think the the enforcement options be be little to none.  Frame it and hang it in your garage.  I know lots of folks who have ridden there in the past several weeks, no issues whatsoever.

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https://www.lequotidien.com/2023/03/11/des--bonnes-nouvelles--attendues-lundi-pour-les-motoneigistes-sur-les-monts-valin-2a3687344eb66fec301de651c35f22f8?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1Gkullh1HPBjB346MNlrvEN2pWNp_iLj7l64uza7eQjf62M3mQgBgq2Zg#Echobox=1678552626

Good news" expected Monday for snowmobilers on Monts Valin

Good news" could be announced Monday for snowmobilers who are unhappy with having to pay a $13.46 daily fee at the entrance to the Martin-Valin ZEC, according to the business owners who denounced the fee last Wednesday.

There's nothing official. To get rid of the fee, you have to reverse the law. Minister Andrée Laforest told me that she would try it and that we will have news on Monday," explains Charles Marchand, co-owner of Domaine l'Or-Piste, in a telephone interview with The Daily on Saturday.

 

Although nothing is "set in stone", the shopkeepers of the Auberge du km 31, Lina Morin, and the Relais La Chapelle, Mylène Aubry, also expect positive news. "We feel that it is going in the right direction," says Ms. Morin.

 

The owners also have the impression that a certain craze has returned. "We shouldn't have boycotted the businesses. It's not the zec that pays, it's us. We're happy to feel that things are picking up a bit," adds the representative of the Auberge du km 31.

 

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More than a little insulting this went on essentially all season. Those affected businesses must be livid over the Zec collecting probably no more than a few hundred dollars among people willing to pay it while their businesses were dampened nearly all season. 

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2 hours ago, actionjack said:

More than a little insulting this went on essentially all season. Those affected businesses must be livid over the Zec collecting probably no more than a few hundred dollars among people willing to pay it while their businesses were dampened nearly all season. 

This 100%

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March 13, 2023 4:08 p.m.Updated at 6:42 p.m.

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Access rights: zec Martin-Valin temporarily exempted

DENIS VILLENEUVE

The Daily

The litigation affecting snowmobilers using the trails on the territory of zec Martin-Valin is over.

Discussions between representatives of the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay and the Ministry of the Environment resolved the impasse. The zec has obtained the flexibility that allows it to be exempted from pricing and temporary registration for snowmobilers who are members of the Fédération des Clubs de motoneigistes du Québec (FCMQ).

Under the agreement, snowmobilers who hold their access card from the Federation will not have to register and pay traffic fees in the zec, provided they stay on the trails maintained by the federated clubs.

READ ALSO

NEWS

“Good news” expected Monday for snowmobilers on Monts Valin

March 11, 2023

Snowmobilers who travel off-trail and all people who travel through the zec reception station must register and pay their driving fees, otherwise they risk a fine.

During a press briefing held late Monday afternoon, the MNA for Chicoutimi, Andrée Laforest, said she was satisfied with the outcome of the dispute, which nevertheless constitutes a temporary measure allowing the continuation of tourist activities related to the snowmobiling for the rest of the winter. "We realize that a small decision can disturb tourism," she said.

As for the future, the MNA mentioned that discussions will have to take place between the FCMQ and the zecs, however, insisting on the fact that the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay is preparing to submit its tourism strategy and that it will take partnership to get it right. She recalled that the snowmobile industry represents spinoffs of $35 to $40 million.

Asked whether snowmobilers who have received statements of offense distributed by zec patrollers could be exonerated, Ms. Laforest mentioned that she was going to discuss with her colleagues in Quebec.

Under current regulations, the zec must ensure the control and protection of its territory by distributing statements of offense when there is omission to respect the regulations.

Zec Martin-Valin decided last year to diversify its activities during the cold season by opening certain lakes to ice fishing, increasing the accommodation offer and offering free parking areas.

Director General Marie-Josée Savard has indicated in a press release that she is ready to discuss with the partners in order to work towards the development of all forms of collaboration.

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We can thank KM31 and Chapelle for really fighting this.  Hoping common sense prevails for next season.  Mylène is a beast and never gave up the fight!

 

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1961664/montsvalin-zecmartinvalin-motoneiges-contravention-droit-passage-boycott?fbclid=IwAR2xSw5vDkGbRfmNUpvUwLh8-5i9LUIL0W5ceVAtqfm7KgXdt801JT7B7T4

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

https://fcmq.qc.ca/actualites/zecs-quebec-la-zec-martin-valin-et-la-federation-des-clubs-de-motoneigistes-du-quebec-decident-de-collaborer-1?fbclid=IwAR1BLykGzZ7zPVBV_mqj1X1VfHdPbiItbUn7xaxlekTrsnSv3t4w6rqUZWQ
 

Zecs Québec, Zec Martin-Valin and the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec decide to collaborate

 

                                                                                                   PRESS RELEASE

 

                                                                                             

 

Zecs Québec, Zec Martin-Valin and the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec decide to collaborate

 

 

Quebec City, March 30, 2023 - On Saturday, March 25, during the annual convention of the Zec Network, the Martin-Valin Zec and the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec (FCMQ) decided to collaborate in order to find a solution to the double pricing of snowmobilers who travel on hunting and fishing zecs

 

Under the regulation on controlled harvesting zones for hunting and fishing (chapter C-61.1, r.78), snowmobilers must pay a fee to access controlled harvesting zones, even if they have already paid a fee for access to federated trails.

 

Zecs Québec, Zec Martin-Valin and the FCMQ recognize the importance of finding a solution that is fair to snowmobilers and that respects existing laws and regulations. The three parties are pleased to announce their commitment to a resolution of the current situation. In the spirit of cooperation, a committee will be formed to begin a negotiation process and find a solution that is satisfactory to all.

 

"As General Manager for the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec, I would like to commend the openness of Zecs Québec and Zec Martin-Valin to form this committee with a view to finding a lasting solution.  Let's remember that nearly 2,400 km of trails cross the Zec Network throughout Quebec. Considering this, I sincerely believe that by creating an advisory committee with Zecs Québec and Zec Martin-Valin we will be able to find a fair solution for our snowmobilers. - Stéphane Desroches, general manager of the FCMQ.

 

In the meantime, for the end of the current season, a temporary exemption from fees and registration will be granted to FCMQ member snowmobilers who ride on federated trails on the territory of the Martin-Valin Zec. However, snowmobilers who ride off the federated trails, who practice off-trail riding or who ride through the zec's reception area will have to register and pay their fees, otherwise they will be fined.

 

The parties involved are convinced that this negotiation process will make it possible to find a lasting solution for the entire network of zecs on the issue raised by the Martin-Valin zec in collaboration with the federation of snowmobile clubs and all zecs.

 

About the Fédération québécoise des gestionnaires de zecs

 

The Fédération québécoise des gestionnaires de zecs (www.reseauzec.com) is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 that represents the 63 controlled harvesting zones offering services related to hunting, fishing, vacationing and recreational activities for 41,000 members. These organizations are responsible for the management, harvesting and conservation of wildlife.

 

About the Fédération des motoneigistes du Québec

 

The Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec (www.fcmq.qc.ca) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of safe snowmobiling throughout Quebec. The FCMQ defends the interests of its members and all those concerned by the activity. More than 4,500 volunteers devote nearly 800,000 hours each year to the maintenance of the provincial snowmobile trail network.

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