“I am convinced that we have acquired rights”

“My roof demolished?!” Standing on the veranda of his trailer, Jean-Guy Soucy is indignant. He refuses to dismantle his camping facilities by August 31, as required by Quebec. “The load-bearing wall,” he says, pointing at it, “I have to knock that down!”

Jean-Guy Soucy has been camping for 25 years in the Zec des Nymphes, a hunting and fishing area located on public land in Lanaudière.

Her 1992 trailer has a roof to protect it from the elements. Its veranda is decorated with red brick wallpaper and has hardwood floors and a propane stove.

Jean-Guy Soucy says he has permits from the municipality of Saint-Damien – where part of the ZEC is located – to build the roof of his trailer, the veranda and the shed. But now the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) is asking him to demolish his facilities because they do not comply with its regulations.

He does not want to dismantle them. “I am convinced that we have acquired rights,” he says.

From Charlevoix to Lanaudière, via the Hautes-Laurentides, hundreds of ZEC campers are mobilizing to keep their verandas, their sheds and the roofs over their trailers. Some are even showing their teeth: the ZEC des Nymphes has received some 70 formal notices from people who refuse to comply with the Ministry’s instructions – including Jean-Guy Soucy.

According to Quebec, camping equipment must “at all times” be “mobile, temporary and not attached to the ground.” Verandas or sheds, on the other hand, must “remain uninhabitable” and “be free” of insulation, plumbing or electrical wiring. The “total of their surface area” cannot exceed that of the trailer.

Harold Castonguay, who is leading a protest movement in the ZEC des Martres in Charlevoix, is asking Quebec for a “grandfather clause” for those who have duly obtained a permit from their municipality or MRC, like him.

He argues that compliance with the standards would require a lot of money and energy from the campers in his ZEC, who are often elderly and cannot afford to renovate. “It’s really the middle class that is in the campgrounds,” says Harold Castonguay, who was president of Zecs Québec. “There are people who are retired, they have a hard time accepting a $100 increase.”

Lack of communication

The Zec Network, which brings together the 63 ZECs in Quebec, estimates that just over 1,000 campsites, out of the 5,150 in the province, do not meet the Ministry’s standards. Many campers have therefore already modified their facilities.

The rules issued by Quebec are not new. The MELCCFP and the ZEC management organizations (OGZ) have been working since 2015 to implement regional action plans to regulate camping in ZECs. The Ministry states that in 2021 it provided the OGZs with a “procedure” “specifying the interventions requested from users” with a view to compliance with the standards concerning camping equipment. A ministerial directive was issued to the ZECs in October 2023 to “reiterate these requirements.”

The message does not seem to have reached all campers. The Zec Network acknowledges “pitfalls” in communication.

“We are well aware that there are people on the boards of directors [de zecs] who were not transparent with their campers, and perhaps they themselves had facilities that were not compliant and they wanted to protect things,” adds its general manager, Myriam Bergeron.

Public lands

M^me Bergeron emphasizes that the Zec Network is “super sensitive to the distress” of campers who must remove their facilities. Discussions are underway with the Ministry, she says, to ensure a “humane and smooth transition.” Moreover, the date for dismantling the facilities, initially set for August 31, will be postponed. According to the MELCCFP, the standards must be brought up to standard by March 31.

She cites the case of a camper who dug a pond on the site he was renting. Others have built a large garage on a cement slab or transformed their trailer into a real chalet. In the ZEC des Nymphes, a second floor was built on a trailer, she was able to observe The Press during his visit on Monday.

“If there are people who thought they could resell these facilities at a good price, and then realize that they will not be able to transfer leases by mutual agreement, I understand that it is disappointing,” says Myriam Bergeron. “But it is difficult to defend in the name of the values ​​that we advocate and precisely of fair accessibility for everyone.”

In its directive, the MELCCFP specifies that the sites must be allocated “by drawing lots or based on a waiting list.” Transfers by mutual agreement are only permitted between spouses residing at the same address. It is impossible to transfer the land rental contract to one’s children, which is deplored by campers interviewed by The Press.

Linda Paquette, who owns a trailer in the ZEC Lesueur, in the Hautes-Laurentides, hopes that the Ministry will “study the ZECs on a case-by-case basis” and listen to their “needs.” In her ZEC, campers have obtained building permits from the municipality of Ferme-Neuve. Many go walleye fishing during the winter. “For them, going to shelter in their veranda with a small wood stove is important,” she says.

The 59-year-old camper believes that negotiations are still possible. “We’re going to make some small changes,” says Linda Paquette. “We’re going to collaborate.” But Quebec, she repeats, must “respect the good faith” of campers who have obtained permits.