The National Trail is getting longer | The Press

Hikers will be able to tread new sections of the National Trail, particularly in Outaouais and Bas-Saint-Laurent, thanks to financial assistance from the Quebec government. We are talking about the creation of 110 kilometers of new trails, but also the upgrading of 715 kilometers of existing trails.

Currently, the National Trail is 1,650 kilometers across several regions of Quebec, but it is not continuous.

“For me, what is most exciting is not the new trails, but it is continuing to keep alive what was already there,” says Grégory Flayol, deputy general director of Rando Québec. But it’s certain that the new thing is exciting: there are big pieces coming. »

The biggest piece is an addition of 54 kilometers which will cross the Papineau-Labelle wildlife reserve and thus connect the municipalities of Val-des-Bois, Montpellier and Duhamel.

“It’s a major section that we didn’t think we could develop in the short term,” says Mr. Flayol. And then, we are in the wildlife reserve, it is always an issue because it is a territory which is administered by SEPAQ, which has its own regulations. But it came to fruition with a great collaboration with Loisir sport Outaouais, the outdoor development agency which coordinated all of this and which brought the three municipalities together around a common project. »

In Bas-Saint-Laurent, we will make progress with a view to possibly connecting the Neigette Falls and Mount Comi trail with the International Appalachian Trail, in Amqui.

“There are also small pieces of trail that are added, to the left and right, to ensure connectivity,” notes Mr. Flayol. It is important in the general objective to say that one day, perhaps, we will have a national trail which will be continuous throughout the province, even if for us, currently, it is not priority. What is important is to solidify what is already there. »

Last November, the Quebec government announced an envelope of 2.7 million to develop and sustain the National Trail. This week, the Minister responsible for Sport, Recreation and the Outdoors, Isabelle Charest, announced the 24 projects which will ultimately share aid of 2.4 million, a little less than the amount planned.

Grégory Flayol explains that the initial announcement took some trail managers by surprise, who simply did not have the time to determine and precisely quantify the necessary work within the allotted time frame.

He adds that government assistance covers 80% of the total costs of each project.

“It is a hindrance because some managers do not have the necessary 20% investment: they do not have independent income because, sometimes, they are on public land, there is no trail access billing. Or sometimes, they are not supported by MRCs or municipalities. They are truly alone. »

He still welcomes government aid.

However, he deplores the fact that while Minister Charest and her team firmly support the National Trail, this is not the case with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, which has allowed logging that will seriously damage sections of the National Trail. , particularly in Lanaudière.

“We recognize the importance of forestry or mining prospecting in Quebec, but we would like large-scale projects like the National Trail, which have a recreational tourism and access to nature vocation, to be considered at the same level as other uses of the public forest. »

In an interview, Minister Charest reiterated that a balance must be struck between cutting wood and developing trails.

“We try to do the best we can, there are teams working together at the Environment and at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, but sometimes there are things that are a little out of control . »

She says she is sensitive to environmental issues.

“I think that by upgrading certain trails and developing other trails, it demonstrates a strong interest in the outdoors and preservation of the environment. It’s clear that we care about the National Trail. »

Consult the Quebec National Trail page on Rando Québec