Gullyrider

Great job .... I haven't been able to access the site in months and had given up. Glad I checked in this morning ... thanks guys!

The 2023 $3.3 judgement against the Club de motoneigistes MRC Rouyn-Noranda awarded to an Ontarian who lost control after hitting a stump (which was adjacent to but not on the trail - he was seriously injured but survived) has had a huge effect on Québec snowmobiling. Club administrators must now sign declarations that their trails can be considered safe and that they have complied with all of onerous signage requirements before the FCMQ can show their trails as "open" on the iMotoneige app and the online interactive map. This is a requirement imposed on the Federation by the insurer. These lawsuits and subsequent prejudicial judgements against clubs will be the death of snowmobiling tourism in Québec. The effort and expence required to meet the signage requirments alone is discouraging the most dedicated of volunteers ... and we have only the most litigious amongst us to thank for it.

I had heard that bad news. It's a challenging business, what with coping with rising costs, staff shortages and regulatory disincentives to start any sort of business. Yesterday, we took a couple of truckloads of firewood to the "Petite Cabane dans la Prairie" (hopefully dry enough to burn, but scrappy enough to discourage thieves!) and all seemed well trail-wise. There is water flowing across the trail just south of the "Cabane", so we're arranging with our contractor to see what we can do about it. As for the hotel at Lac Schryer, our club is certainly eager to work with any prospective new owners who may wish to take a crack at it ....

Happy Thanksgiving neighbours!

Under the new financing model, the clubs receive monies as follows: $200 per kilometre of approved trail disbursed on December 1st. $50 per annual membership (antique and rental included) with payment starting the 31st of October and regularly thereafter. $10 per one, three and seven day pass. $85 per hour of grooming (for the 2024-25 season only; usually it's $80 per hour). Initial disbursement based on 50% of a clubs average grooming hours is disbursed on December 15th. Grooming hours are reported every two weeks and, once the original amount has been exceeded, the clubs receive the hourly rate approximately every two weeks. The clubs can receive anywhere between 50 to 90% of a new groomer purchase covered by the FCMQ based on a sliding scale of their revenue per kilometre of approved trail (e.g. more revenue equals a lower percentage). The approval formula is fairly complex, but is based on a formula of one groomer per 80 kilometres of trail. The entire programme is in place to address the rich club/poor club syndrome. Our club, formerly in the latter category, worked hard to become better off financially through growing our membership and being extremely frugal. However, just as we became a better off club, we took a 30% cut in our seasonal revenue. Nevertheless, we realized that a more uniform distribution of funds should result in a better snowmobiling experience for everyone .... especially when on a multi-day trip. It only became fully subscribed last season so it's still too soon to tell. It's important to note that this initiative was decided upon democratically by the FCMQ whose Board is comprised primarily of the directors of each of the 13 regional directors. Many (many!) discussions took place at the regional level throughout the creation and implementation of the new system, and the majority of the regions eventually voted their approval. Those that didn't accepted the results and here we are.

A Very Happy Glorious Fourth to all of our American neighbours from the Hill & Gully Riders/Les Voyageurs des Collines et Ravins!

I haven't heard any provincial numbers, but our club was up for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 471 from last year's 425 To put things in perspective, the 46 membership increase from last year would have represented more than half of our total membership back when I became club secretary in the late eighties. We were a bit concerned as rumours swirled that the "COVID crowd" were selling off their sleds and returning to their snowbird ways, but apparently such was not the case. One of our neighbouring clubs suffered a significant decrease in membership, but since, under the new financing model, a club's revenues will be based more on hours of grooming than membership sales, their finances won't take as serious a hit. Now that all Québec clubs are under the new model, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Time will tell ... Happy New Year to y'all by the way!

On behalf of the Québec Hill and Gully Riders, I wish all of our American friends a Very Happy Fourth of July! It seems like only a few short months ago since I posted a similar message but ... there you go!

If you don't receive a reply in time, I would suggest contacting the club from which your permit was purchased. They may be amenable to working out some sort of a partial rebate of the portion of the money they received as a good faith gesture. In the past, our Club has rebated the amount received from the FCMQ in the case of cancellations for medical emergencies and whatnot.

Most definitely! I could be wrong, but I get the impression that Chantal and Alain are just now becoming familiar with snowmobile tourism. AMVN director Lanthier has also been working closely with them installing signage and whatnot, and I'm trying to help them out with English language media. It's unfortunate that the only access is down a long village street (and there have already been some resident complaints about some late-night yahoo sledders - probably completely justified unfortunately), but it is what is. Those carbides were really too sharp anyway! COVID caused a huge upswing in snowmobile tourism in our area, and I'm hoping things can come together for what used to be Riopel's and that they can capitalize on it. Sadly, the hotel in Val-des-Bois, which seemed to be rocking all last winter, has not survived. Neither did the remaining sit-down restaurant (although apparently there's limited seating in the fried chicken take-out spot). Staff shortages seem to be a major issue but I'm sure that there are other factors at play. Oh well ... at least we got Schryer back, and our own clubhouse is rockin' weekends too!

I've got some great news for riders in the Lac La Blanche - Montpelier area. The venerable Hotel Lac Schryer has been slowly transformed and re-opened under the new name Auberge Chantalain. Back in my yout', when we dragged trails with Alpines and old bedsprings, this establishment was ably managed by https://www.fcfq.coop/avis-de-deces/lorenzo-lemay-154384/ whose bevy of lovely daughters served snacks and quarts into the wee hours. It included a dance floor, stage, pool table .. and even a hydraulic bucking bull! It was the "second home" of the Hill & Gully Riders, and, being a daylong trip, was an overnight destination (it now takes under an hour!). Eventually, like most of these rural hotels, it fell on hard times and closed in the mid-eighties. Most of us expected to see it burn down or be demolished. Astonishingly, the building remained in pretty good shape and, just before COVID hit, Chantal and Alain purchased it and began a slow but steady renovation project. They had a "soft opening" last fall, but are now open seven days a week, with food (pizzas, pub grub) from Thursdays to Sundays. The response has been so good, I expect that they'll expand that service ... if they can find the help. I have been working with the iMotoneige folks to get the Auberge on the map, and we hope it doesn't suffer the fate of so many area establishments. The Boréal (formerly Riopel's) in Montpelier is yet to re-open, and most places in Val-des-Bois have closed. Hope springs eternal for the Boréal however, and they're offering big discounts to sledders and ATV'er's on their newly renovated rooms. Fingers and toes are crossed.

You are correct sir.

As my buddy Rick always says ..."snowmobiling hasn't turned out to be the money-making proposition I thought it would be".

There is currently a strict moratorium on the development or accreditation of additional federated snowmobile trails. It stems from the earlier initiative concerning the rationalizing of the network and the consolidation of smaller clubs. I haven't heard of it being lifted any time soon.

Get a grip! I've met guys barely in control around corners, one who felt compelled to raise three fingers just before he almost plowed into me! I usually give the hand signalers a polite nod, by my hands remain krazy glued to the bars.