It was in France in 1991; let’s avoid any risk of a ban in Quebec.
In France, recreational snowmobiling has been banned since 1991. No private individual is allowed to travel by snowmobile. Only ski resorts, emergency services or rental companies (in poor conditions) are allowed to use a snowmobile. Altitude restaurants in ski resorts cannot transport their food or customers by snowmobile. They can with a helicopter or a snow groomer, which is much more energy-intensive. Is this a step forward for the environment? How did France get here? What steps can be taken to ensure that a ban does not happen in Quebec? This is an opportunity to reflect on how fortunate we are in Quebec to have the right to move around quite freely, over a territory of 33,000 km. Trails are not a right, they’re a privilege, to be treasured– they’re everyone’s business.
The facts
Since 1988, an official importer had been importing Ski-Doos into France, and things were going rather well. Individuals in mountainous regions loved the ‘snow scooters’. Ski resorts were discovering the work they could do at lower cost, as they only had snow groomers to get around.
Star presenter Nicolas Hulot created the Harricana competition, which was broadcast on the TF1 television channel, with the star drivers of the Paris-Dakar. Cyril Neveu, Hubert Auriol and Philippe Vassard, to name but a few, swapped the sands of the desert for the snows of Quebec. The images broadcast during prime time on television greatly enhanced the image of snowmobiling in Quebec for French tourists.
The Winter Olympics were to be held in Albertville in 1992. The importer, with the help of BRP, sold Ski-Doo snowmobiles to the French army to support the Olympics. Yamaha, for its part, equipped the Police. The Polaris brand was also distributed by importer Prinoth, which sold snowmobiles as a package to ski resorts that bought snow groomers.
Everything seemed to glide along on carbide slides for the snowmobiles. But in 1991, France’s infamous guillotine was back in action. The axe fell on the right to ride a snowmobile. Only ski resorts, emergency services and the army were allowed to use the vehicles. The law did not apply to ‘vehicles used to fulfil a public service mission’.
The fateful French legislation
Law 91-2 was written as follows:
“Article 1. – In order to ensure the protection of natural areas, the use of motor vehicles is prohibited outside roads classified as public roads by the State, the départements and the communes”.
This law therefore affected all off-road vehicles, including motorbikes and quad bikes.
Article 3 then tackled snowmobiles head-on: « The use, for leisure purposes, of motorised vehicles designed for use on snow is prohibited.”
In a last effort, the snowmobile importers got together to talk to the politicians and managed to save snowmobile rental. They had the arguments to do so. At the end of the 80s, there was a lack of snow, which reduced the number of visitors to ski resorts. The government had given public money to save the resorts, and had also created advertisements under the slogan “La Montagne, Ça Vous Gagne” (The Mountain, Winning for You)
The aim was to show that skiing was not the only activity in the French mountains. There could also be riding and restaurants serving local dishes such as raclette and tartiflette. The importers were quick to point out that many French tourists were spending their money in Quebec on snowmobile holidays. They asked that the rental business in the French mountains be preserved, to keep tourists in their country.
This request was accepted and reiterated in a ministerial letter in February 1994. Under certain conditions, the mayors of mountain resorts could authorise snowmobile rental in ski resorts, on short routes, between 5pm and 10pm. But authorisation could be withdrawn at any time by the regional prefecture if problems arose.
Why?
You have to remember that the snowmobile market was very small in France in the 1990s. For example, the French army only ordered 40 Ski-Doo snowmobiles. There were no federated trails. The French climate had less snow than Quebec. Snow was only present in the mountain areas, but it was lacking in those years.
The bill tabled by the then Minister for the Environment, Brice Lalonde, stipulated that “access to nature by motor vehicles is accompanied by noise, disturbance and destruction … as soon as the motor vehicle leaves the paths and tracks. Practised under these conditions, these sports and leisure activities run counter to the conservation of the environment …. And in general to the protection of natural areas and landscapes”.
However, he qualified his remarks by adding that “This measure will not hinder the freedom of movement of any owner of a motor vehicle, or even the practice of motorised leisure activities. Drivers in our country have 800,000 km of public roads (not including urban roads), 1,400,000 km of rural roads and a very large number of private roads open to general traffic”.
This was untrue, since snowmobiles, because of their rarity, were not registered. They therefore had no space to circulate, apart from private land.
But the economic weight of the market was small. There were no federated, recognised trails for snowmobiles, and no clubs either. The areas with the most snow had the steepest gradients. It wasn’t uncommon to see snowmobiles tip over and spin down the slope. That’s why professional models for resorts are fitted with anti-rollover bars.
It’s interesting to know the story behind the ban. Every Saturday and Sunday, a group of four or five snowmobiles drove past a chalet in the Alps belonging to an influential member of parliament. He was annoyed by the noise and smoke from the two-stroke engines of the time (which have since evolved). So he took the matter to the Chamber of Deputies and set about drafting the bill.
What can Quebec and the Canadian provinces learn from the lessons of the past?
It is said that history repeats itself. So let’s analyse the mistakes of the French system so that they don’t happen again here.
There were no :
- Federated trails
- Snowmobile clubs
- A federation to negotiate with the government
- Tourism or economic spin-offs
- Snowmobile registrations
In Canada, everything is in place. In Quebec, one of the basic values is the network of federated trails devised by pioneers like Bob Petit. He created the first Trans-Québec #3 trail, renamed in his name. He also initiated the first snowmobile ride between Mont-Laurier and Quebec City, and laid the foundations for the FCMQ. The Fédération des Clubs de Motoneigistes du Québec has just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, and many enthusiasts, volunteers and employees have passed the torch to drive this unique organisation forward. It offers an exceptional opportunity to travel 33,000 km of trails reserved exclusively for snowmobiles.
Since the organisation has been in existence for 50 years, travelling freely by snowmobile seems like an acquired right. But this is not the case.
It’s a privilege that requires effort at every level to perpetuate the rides with friends, with stops at refuges along the way and the diverse landscapes you encounter.
It is essential to :
- Respect the rights of way offered by landowners
- Do not venture off federated trails to avoid damaging any plantations.
- Do not ride on federated trails without an access permit.
- Be respectful of local residents and the general public.
- Present a good image of snowmobilers to ensure social acceptability.
- Do not make unnecessary noise
- Don’t drive too fast, so as not to increase the number of accidents
- Don’t spend your life criticising institutions, clubs or trail conditions on social networks.
- Give time to your club to ensure it runs smoothly, and take part in meetings.
- Show solidarity with the snowmobiling community
These are the ten commandments of a snowmobiler who wants to keep the activity going.
We should also encourage the younger generation to take an interest in the pleasures of snowmobiling and encourage them to get involved. It’s good for the clubs, but it’s also good for the young people, who will find it rewarding to help their community. They are the future of the sport.
It may sound prescriptive, but a single bill can change everything.
Fifty years have been completed, and it’s time to maintain the efforts and pass them on to future generations.
Photo credit: BRP and Yamaha
