No more cross-country skiing: Laval University closes access to the Montmorency Forest to the public

over here For the second time in two years The Faculty of Forestry of the University of Laval, which owns the Montmorency Forest, has decided to close the 397-kilometre site² For the public to retain research and teaching activities only.

In 2021, the university management finally changed its approach by allowing a businessman to operate a cross-country ski center in exchange for a discount. The businessman in question, Rogue-a-Hour cross-country ski coach Godefroy Pillodo, got down to business to save the site which he considered irreplaceable.

Contacted by Radio Canada, Mr. Bilodeau confirmed he wants to keep the cross-country ski center open this winter and even re-launch stays in residence as health rules are lifted.

People were very happy with the reopening last winter, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for this yearHe says.

However, the College of Forestry told him at the end of the summer that their agreement would not be renewed.

Security issue, the university pleads

Laval University spokesperson Andre-Ann Stewart explains that leisure tourism activities are not compatible with scientific research this year.

La Forêt Montmorency is not a center for cross-country skiing and not a center for leisure tourism activities. It is a research and teaching laboratory. This is the priorityindicates.

Laval University ensures that the dilapidated state of the facilities has nothing to do with the decision to close the Montmorency Forest to the public.

Photo: Radio Canada/Guillaume Bedbuff

The College of Forestry is doing work that includes this winter High-level engineering equipment On the territory of the Montmorency forest. The university believes there is a high risk of cross-country skiers approaching and injuring themselves.

Only for this reason we decided to suspend activities. We don’t want a skater venturing into a potentially dangerous cornerMrs. Stewart is justified.

How is this research different from all that was done in the past in conjunction with cross-country skiing? The Department of Forestry College of Laval University was not available to explain this to Radio Canada on Wednesday.

one site

Alexis Morin, coach of the Skibec Nordique regional club, was surprised to hear the news of the Montmorency Forest being closed to the public. It reminds us that the site is unique. Due to the exceptional snow cover, you can usually ski there several weeks earlier than anywhere else in the south of the county.

The university doesn’t realize how the Montmorency Forest is the epicenter of cross-country skiing for everything before Christmas. I speak for the club I belong to but also to all the other people in the county who travel from Montreal and other places to come and train.Alexis Morin launches.

Alex Harvey coaching at Forêt Montmorency, in 2017.

Photo: Radio Canada/Carl Boivin

This year of the Canadian Games, the closure of the Montmorency Forest comes at a very bad time for the region’s best young cross-country skiers, adds the coach. The selections start at the beginning of December, and unless there is an exceptional month of November, we won’t have time to ski much earlierconfirms Alexis Morin.

Not just for elite skiers

Louis Bouchard, head coach of the National Training Center Pierre Harvey, agrees.

If you have another two or three weeks to ski, it’s pretty clear that you’ll have a better preparation for the season. This is what allows us to compete with Western Canada, where they deposit snow mechanically from the end of October for skiinghe explains.

But this isn’t just a problem for elite cross-country skiers, recalls former coach Alex Harvey. Sunday skiers also see their season shortened as the Montmorency Forest closes. All this while cross-country skiing centers are more crowded than ever in the area.

It remains a mass sport that moves people of all age groups. Every time a ski club or resort closes, it’s not good newsas Louis Bouchard believes.