Uncertain Snowmobile Season in the Monts-Valin

For nearly four years now, the Ministry of Wildlife has been asking the province’s ZECs to enforce regulations requiring fees for all activities taking place on their territory, including snowmobiling. Of the more than fifty ZECs in the province, only two or three are still persistently trying to do so.

On April 20, we announced to the Martin-Valin ZEC and the Ministry’s regional representative during a regional committee meeting that the Caribou-Conscrits Club would cease its activities in the Monts-Valin if they persisted in trying to squeeze money out of us. Since then, nothing has happened, except for their repeated attempts to organize negotiation committees.

Sometimes we wonder if anyone is actually in charge at this Ministry. In four years, there has been no comment from the minister on the subject. It just goes to show that the message isn’t getting through to the right people.

We (the Club’s Board of Directors) are taking action… no trail this year on the Monts-Valin if we have to pay a fee.

And here we go again ...

Its all about the money

$$$$$$$$$$$$

Very disappointing. The Minister should simply say Zec's are not allowed to charged permitted riders on FCMQ trails. Last I heard Snowmobiling has a $2.6 BILLION economic impact annually.

The Caribou-Conscrits Snowmobile Club is threatening to cease operations in the Valin Mountains, north of Saguenay, if the Martin-Valin ZEC continues to charge fees to snowmobilers who ride there.

Snowmobile clubs have been awaiting a change in the law for three years, while Quebec says it is working on legislative and regulatory amendments.

The same approach is being taken by the Saguenay Club and the Saint-Raymond Club in Portneuf.

The three presidents have signed a joint letter, a copy of which Radio-Canada has obtained.

Currently, the Act respecting the conservation and enhancement of wildlife (LCMVF) requires ZECs to agree with associations on an annual flat fee for trail maintenance.

According to this law, enforced by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks (MELCCFP), the amount must be reasonable, thus allowing the parties to negotiate the specific amount among themselves.

Denis Legendre, president of the Caribou-Conscrits Club, states that the situation, which has persisted since the winter of 2022–2023, cannot continue.

The Martin-Valin ZEC accounts for 30% of my territory, and I spend 45% of my budget on that territory because there’s a lot of traffic and a lot of snow.

So why should we have to pay yet another tax to travel on that territory when the ZEC does nothing for the snowmobile club?

“It’s illogical, in our view,” Denis Legendre, president of the Caribou-Conscrits club, reiterated in an interview on Tuesday.

A Requirement According to the Martin-Valin ZEC

The Martin-Valin ZEC is one of the few to enforce the ministry’s measure.

For his part, Alexandre Mathieu, the general manager of the controlled operating zone, defends his position by stating that he is merely enforcing the law imposed by Quebec.

The difference here is that last winter, the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks asked us to enforce what the law requires of us.

So, we manage the territory on behalf of the ministry, and they ask us to enforce the regulations that govern us, which stipulate that a reasonable flat fee must be set,” stated Alexandre Mathieu in response to the snowmobile club’s statement.

Upcoming Consultations

In March 2023, Andrée Laforest, who was then Minister of Municipal Affairs and responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, had called for a moratorium on the fees imposed on snowmobilers.

Roundtable discussions were even formed (one in Saguenay and one at the provincial level) to discuss this issue and that of multi-use trails on public land, at the request of former Minister Andrée Laforest.

After more than three years, no progress has been made on this front, the presidents of the three clubs wrote in their letter.

In a written response to Radio-Canada, the MELCCFP outlined the next steps.

Steps have already been taken with the Quebec Federation of ZEC Managers (FQGZ) and the Quebec Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (FCMQ).

Potential legislative and regulatory changes have been identified following joint work with the FQGZ

Quebec Federation of ZEC Managers

and the FCMQ, as well as the relevant ministries.

These are currently being analyzed by the responsible team at MELCCFP and will be the subject of consultations, said Daniel Labonté, the ministry’s press relations officer.

Current law allows for snowmobilers to be exempt from fees, but this exemption must apply uniformly throughout the year and to all types of vehicles.

These aspects will be taken into account in the upcoming review.

The analysis must consider fairness among the parties and toward other vehicle users traveling within ZECs, as well as the founding principle of ZECs, enshrined in the LCMVF, which stipulates the need for self-financing, he added.

What a bunch of damn unfounded nonsense. Meanwhile, the winters are shrinking, and it costs $20k to buy a vehicle that you can't dare to trust beyond the warranty period. The best days of snowmobiling are behind us I am afraid.

Not Valin

Hello, snowmobilers.

Although the St-Raymond Snowmobile Club supports other clubs facing issues with ZECs, I would like to clarify that the St-Raymond Snowmobile Club and the Batiscan Nelson ZEC (ZBN) are working closely together. The ZBN and the St-Raymond Snowmobile Club have a signed agreement that complies with the law. Under this agreement, the ZBN has no intention of charging fees for snowmobiling in their area.

The ZBN has established a committee to improve access to their area; this committee is working very hard to achieve this goal, thereby allowing you to enjoy their splendid scenery.

So, fellow snowmobilers, let’s all be grateful for the ZBN’s remarkable efforts. A simple “thank you” will surely be appreciated.

The President of the St-Raymond Snowmobile Club.

The ZEC's looking for a quick money grab. It will get sorted by snow.