Quebec backs Outaouais ATV clubs with nearly $297,000 for trails and safety

Tashi Farmilo

Funding for all-terrain vehicle clubs in the Outaouais got a significant boost on May 20, as the Quebec government announced $296,838 directed toward trail upkeep, safety improvements, and the purchase of maintenance equipment for a volunteer-driven network that keeps hundreds of kilometres of backcountry trails open to the public.

The money flows through the province's Programme d'aide financière aux véhicules tout-terrain, known as the PAVTT, and is part of a $7.4-million distribution this cycle, shared between the Fédération québécoise des clubs quads, the Fédération québécoise des motos hors route, and their respective members across Quebec. The program, structured around trail maintenance, club safety and operational support, and closed-circuit off-road motorcycle parks, runs until March 31, 2027.

Transport Minister Benoit Charette used the occasion to shine a light on the people who make the trails possible in the first place. "I commend the work of the clubs and their volunteers," he said, "without whom safe and accessible ATV riding would not be possible." That acknowledgment matters, because Quebec's ATV trail network stretches more than 33,000 kilometres and depends heavily on unpaid labour to stay functional. Without that work, a grant of this size would have nothing to sustain.

Suzanne Tremblay, the MNA for Hull and government liaison for the minister responsible for the regions, made the economic case plainly. "All-terrain vehicle riding holds an important place in our region, for residents and tourists alike," she said, "and it generates positive spinoffs for our communities and our regional economy."

Mathieu Lévesque, minister responsible for youth and MNA for Chapleau, focused his remarks on the MRC de La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and the Club Quad Vallée de la Gatineau, calling ATV enthusiasts in that area major contributors to local economic development and welcoming the funding as support for continued trail improvement and safety. Robert Bussière, MNA for Gatineau, said the clubs would be able to carry on their work "with well-maintained facilities adapted to users' needs, for the benefit of families, visitors, and local communities."