Official Statement – Loss of a Major Right of Way
Club Blizard regrets to announce that Trail 43, linking the Lanaudière and Laurentians regions between Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson and Entrelacs (Domaine des Lacs area), will no longer be accessible from next season onwards.
This closure follows the decision by the new owners of the land in question not to renew the right of way. This decision, for which no explanation has been given, brings to an end a partnership that has allowed the use of this section for nearly 60 years and which constituted an important link within the regional snowmobile network.
Over the past few months, Club Blizard has made every effort to maintain this access. Steps have been taken in a spirit of dialogue and respect to find a solution that would preserve this strategic corridor for snowmobilers and for the regional economy. Despite our ongoing efforts, no agreement has been reached to date.
The loss of this section of Trail 43 will have tangible consequences. As well as depriving snowmobilers of a historic route between the two regions, this closure will divide the club’s territory, complicate maintenance and safety operations across the network, and will undoubtedly result in additional costs for the organisation.
Beyond the recreational aspect, Club Blizard points out that snowmobiling is a major tourist activity in Quebec, generating significant economic benefits for local shops, restaurants, petrol stations and accommodation providers in the region.
This situation also highlights an increasingly pressing reality: the pressure from urban sprawl, the failure to respect certain rights of way, and changing ideological uses of the land are making it increasingly difficult for volunteer clubs to maintain trail corridors, despite the fact that they are responsible for maintaining a network recognised worldwide.
The Blizard Club is nevertheless continuing its efforts to identify an alternative solution. However, the options currently remain virtually non-existent.
Against this backdrop, the club calls on its members, partners, elected representatives and local stakeholders to remain mobilised in order to support efforts aimed at preserving a safe and well-structured trail network that is essential to the economic vitality of all our regions.
By
iceman ·
