The little-known federation of cross-country skiers

Hikers have one; climbing, cycling, canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts too: a federation that watches out for their interests. Cross-country skiing enthusiasts can also count on a federation, Ski de fond Québec, but they don’t know much about it. Or not at all.

Mary Tison
The Press

There is nothing surprising in this: Ski de fond Québec only recently added recreational practice to a mandate that previously essentially targeted competitive practice and the development of the elite.

“The reflection had been started before my hiring, four years ago, but it had not been continued because the former general manager did not have this vision, explains Claude Alexandre Carpentier. What I said at my job interview was that I found it abnormal that a sports federation did not take care of the majority of those who practice a discipline, namely recreational cross-country skiers. »

The federation took up the idea, but the process was long and it was not until September 2020 that it was recognized as a national leisure organization.

“Recreational cross-country skiers know little about us,” admits Mr. Carpentier. I would be surprised if things changed a lot over time because the role of a federation is to do the structuring work backwards, which the beneficiary does not necessarily see. This includes ensuring that the trails are well marked, well signposted, that evacuation routes have been planned, and so on.

The federation notably took steps with Public Health during the pandemic so that cross-country skiers could continue to practice their sport despite the restrictions. “There are a lot of elements like that that we put forward to Public Health so that ski centers remain open all the time, to allow the population, in a very restrictive context, to have at least this activity to let go of your madness and eliminate the stress accumulated by the pandemic. »

Two projects under construction

The federation does not intend to replace cross-country ski clubs and organisations, which have much more direct contact with cross-country skiers. On the other hand, it has two projects in the works that should interest them.

This includes geo-referencing all the cross-country ski networks in the province and ultimately offering an interactive map that will allow enthusiasts to find a center near them according to different criteria: type of skiing, level of difficulty, etc.

For the moment, the map is not interactive: it simply allows you to see where the different networks are and to access their websites. “It’s very long, it’s a project that should take four years and will require $400,000,” says Mr. Carpentier.

The second project is even longer term. The idea is to create a network of cross-country ski trails, like the Route verte for cycling and the Route bleue for aquatic activities.

“One of the goals is to ‘heritage’ cross-country ski trails, in other words to ensure that they are part of Québec’s intangible heritage and that they are protected,” explains Mr. Carpentier.

Ultimately, it would be a question of linking the various networks to each other. “If someone had the madness one day to want to leave Gatineau to go to Gaspé, they would have to be able to do it on their skis. But the task is colossal,” he adds.

Climatic changes

There is another aspect that concerns Ski de fond Québec: the impacts of climate change.

“It is becoming more and more problematic to ski on the south shore, in Montérégie. There is far too much thaw and the precipitation is not as abundant as we would like,” says Mr. Carpentier.

However, an appropriate layout of the slopes can make it possible to preserve a good layer of snow for longer. In particular, exposure to the sun can be minimized by using trees as a barrier. You can also work the land before winter. “Even weeding in the fall before the first snowfall has a big influence on the amount of snow we can get,” says Mr. Carpentier. Some artificial snow may also be considered in some places.

In parallel with its new role in the recreational field, Ski de fond Québec will continue to work on competitions and the development of the elite. Claude Alexandre Carpentier admits that he himself does not come from the “elite” sector. “I am a very ordinary, recreational skier. I am almost always on the P’tit Train du Nord. »