Quebec Renews Century-Old Backcountry Trails
Quebec is renewing historic backwoods ski and hiking trails that connected rural villages a century ago, attracting new outdoor enthusiasts and boosting winter tourism. The upgraded multi-use routes accommodate skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking while preserving cultural heritage. The project demonstrates how trail conservation can honor historical legacy while supporting vibrant year-round recreation.
- One of the revitalized routes is the Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix, which features nearly 70 km of trails for hiking and snowshoeing and 35 km for cross-country skiing. It also includes nine rustic shelters and 31 camping platforms for overnight stays. - A company named Les Routes Blanche is actively working to recreate the historic village-to-village skiing tradition in the Laurentian Mountains by developing a 75-mile network of both new and restored trails. - The renewal projects are supported by a provincial "park tax" that requires developers to set aside 10% of a deal's value or land for green spaces and trails, helping to fund the expansion of this historic tourism model. - The ski industry is a major economic driver in Quebec, contributing approximately $800 million to the economy each winter and supporting around 12,000 jobs. - Historically, these trail networks served as vital transportation and trade corridors for Indigenous peoples, including the Innuatsh and Huron-Wendat, long before their use by rural villagers. - Despite a recent 10.6% decline in the number of skiers due to a warmer winter, Quebec has seen an 18% increase in both domestic and international winter visitors between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. - The broader outdoor recreation economy in Canada generates over $101 billion annually and supports more than one million jobs, highlighting the significant economic foundation for projects like the trail renewals.
