Controlled areas | Forty-five years after private clubs

When they think of the controlled exploitation zone (zec) of the Martens, hikers think of beautiful hiking trails such as those of Mont du Lac à l’Empeche and Mont du Four, while climbers imagine the beautiful routes of Mount Dome. Several other zecs conjure up such images. However, do outdoor enthusiasts realize that 45 years ago, these territories were essentially devoted to hunting and fishing and reserved for members of private clubs?

On December 22, 1977, the Minister of Tourism, Hunting and Fishing, Yves Duhaime, rose in the National Assembly to announce the end of exclusive hunting and fishing rights on public lands in Quebec, thus leading to what we called “unclubbing”.

“With hindsight, I would say that it was one of the very good moves of the Lévesque government, recalls Yves Duhaime from his part of the country, the Mauricie. I’m quite proud of that even though at the time, this measure was considered by some to be a patient-driven revolution. »

Successive governments, whether Liberal or Union Nationale, had been trying to settle the case of these private clubs for quite some time. At the time, there were 1,164 private hunting and fishing clubs covering an area of ​​150,000 km^⁠2. “It’s five times the territory of a country like Belgium, or 320 times the area of ​​the island of Montreal,” says Mr. Duhaime.

Contrary to popular belief, the members were not primarily Americans. “The vast majority of them were residents of Quebec. They were not only capitalists and the big bourgeoisie. There were businessmen, but also workers, employees. However, they all jealously guarded their territory and erected barriers when necessary.

From the 1960s, groups of citizens began to demonstrate against these private clubs. There was mayhem. The Liberal government reacted in 1971. “Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, among others, refused to grant new leases,” noted Mr. Duhaime. It was already a big step forward. »

To provide access to the population, the Liberals and the Union Nationale sought to expand parks and create wildlife reserves. “It cost a lot of money, you had to pay for expropriations. »

Upon his arrival at the Ministry of Tourism, Hunting and Fishing, Yves Duhaime saw the difficulty: how to put an end to the system of private clubs without spending a fortune?

The solution turned out to be quite simple: eliminate the concept of exclusivity from leases. The clubs could keep their infrastructures, such as chalets and camps, but they could no longer enjoy exclusivity on the territory.

Obviously, it wasn’t to everyone’s taste.

For the management of these territories, the Minister drew inspiration from an initiative conceived on the North Shore by the previous Liberal government, namely the creation of an association headed by volunteer administrators.

But were Quebecers going to answer the call and get involved in the management of their territory?

“Can you imagine that it worked! enthuses Mr. Duhaime. In one month, in record time, we created 36 associations across Quebec. »

Today there are 63 zecs in Quebec. The concept has endured and evolved.

“The network has grown, it is now overseen by a federation, indicates François Garon, general manager of the Zec Network. We still have the traditional clientele for hunting and fishing activities, but we now see that there are many small families who come to take advantage of public lands. »

Another development, more zecs are opening their doors in winter, especially with ice fishing activities. “The network is here to stay,” says Mr. Garon. It remains to develop it properly. Beyond hunting and fishing, there is enormous potential. »

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