Following a stringent qualification procedure, no less than 39 member clubs of the Québec Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (FCMQ) will benefit from part of the sums allocated in the framework of the federal grant awarded to the National Trails Coalition (NTC). A total of $1.8 million in financial support will be invested in Québec’s snowmobile trails. Over a period of one year, this initiative will provide the leverage for total investments of $6 million. The program aims to foster job creation and to provide support to the provinces as the country weathers the current period of economic uncertainty.
Qualifying projects touch on the construction, enhancement, renovation or rehabilitation of recreational trails, or the construction, enhancement and rehabilitation of bridges and water crossings. The projects, to be completed by next spring, will contribute to preserving the regional interconnection upon which rests the reputation of the Québec snowmobile trail network.
By securing the services de Jean Duchaine, Coordinator of the NTC Program, the FCMQ has rendered operational, throughout Québec and in record time, a program based on highly qualitative criteria. The projects must be ready to be carried out and successfully completed before the end of March 2010. The short delays for project execution furthers job creation in the regions.
Last March 6, Premier Stephen Harper announced that a grant of $25 million would be allocated to the NTC for the whole of the Canadian snowmobile trails. As set out in Budget 2009: Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the grant must be matched with minimum financial contributions of 50% in investments from other partners. These contributions may stem from funding provided by other levels of government, including provincial, territorial and municipal governments. Foundations, corporations and private donors are other potential sources of financial contributions.
About NTC: The NTC is a not-for-profit organization. Its members are: the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) of which the FCMQ is a member, the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV), and the Canadian Trails Federation.
About FCMQ: The Québec Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (FCMQ) strives to further the development and promotion of the practice of snowmobiling. The Federation’s affiliated clubs manage the sale of trail permits for Québec’s 33,000-kilometer trail network, and see to its development, planning, maintenance, signposting, and safety.
