“I’m sure we’ve got the rights”

Jean-Guy Soucy has camped for 25 years at the ZEC des Nymphes, a hunting and fishing area located on public land in Lanaudiere.

His trailer, from 1992, is covered with a roof to protect it from inclement weather. Decorated with red brick wallpaper, its veranda has hardwood floors and a propane stove.

Jean-Guy Soucy says he received permission from the municipality of Saint-Damien – where part of the ZEC is located – for the construction of his trailer’s roof, veranda and shed. But now the Ministry of Environment, Combating Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) is asking it to demolish its facilities for not complying with its norms.

He didn’t want to get rid of them. “I’m sure we’ve got the rights,” he said.

From Charlevoix to Lanaudiere, through the Hautes-Laurentides, hundreds of ZEC campers flock to protect their veranda, their shed and the roof overlooking their trailer. Some are showing their teeth: ZEC des Nymphes has received 70 formal notices from people refusing to comply with the ministry’s instructions, including Jean-Guy Soucy.

According to Quebec, camping equipment must be “mobile, temporary and not attached to the ground” “at all times”. Verandahs or sheds must be “non-habitable” and “free” from insulation, plumbing or electrical wiring. “The sum of their area” should not exceed that of the trailer.

Harold Castonguay, leader of a protest movement at the ZEC des Martres in Charlevoix, is asking Quebec for a “grandfather rule” for those like him who have formal permits from their municipality or MRC.

Bringing them up to standard, he argues, will require a lot of money and energy from the campers in his ZEC, who are often old and lack the means to renew. Harold Castonguay, president of Zecs Québec, said, “It’s really the middle class who are in the camps. There are retirees who find it hard to deal with a $100 increase. »

Lack of communication

The Zec Network, which brings together 63 ZECs in Quebec, estimates that more than 1,000 of the 5,150 camps in the province do not meet the ministry’s standards. So many campers have already adapted their facilities.

The rules provided by Quebec are not new. MELCCFP and the ZEC Management Organizations (OGZ) have been working since 2015 on the implementation of regional action plans aimed at regulating camping in ZECs. Aiming to comply with standards related to camping equipment, the ministry says it provided OGZ with a “procedure” in 2021 “specifying the interventions requested from users”. A ministerial directive was issued to ZECs in October 2023 to “reiterate these requirements”.

This message does not seem to have reached all the campers. Zec recognizes “gaps” in network communications.

“We are well aware of the people on the board of directors [de zecs] They weren’t transparent in their camps, maybe they had facilities that weren’t compliant, and they wanted to protect things,” says Miriam Bergeron, its general director.

Public lands

M^me Bergeron insists that the Zec Network is “extremely sensitive” to the need to remove accommodation facilities in the camps. Discussions are ongoing with the ministry to ensure a “humane and smooth transition”. Also, the date for dismantling the installations, originally set for August 31, will be postponed. According to MELCCFP, the update must be done by March 31.

She cites the case of a tenant who dug a pool in his rented space. Others have built a large garage on a cement slab or turned their trailer into a veritable chalet. At the ZEC des Nymphes, a second floor was built on a caravan, which was mentioned Pres During his visit on Monday.

“I understand that it’s disappointing if there are people who thought they could resell these facilities at a good price and realize they can’t transfer leases over the counter,” Miriam Bergeron said. But the values ​​we advocate and precisely the right access for all are hard to defend. »

The MELCCFP, in its order, states that seats should be allocated “on the basis of bulk drawing or waiting list”. Counter transfers are allowed only between spouses residing at the same address. It is impossible to transfer the land tenancy agreement to one’s children, it was interviewed by the managers Pres.

Linda Paquette, who owns a trailer at ZEC Lesueur in the Hautes-Laurentides, wants the ministry to “examine ZECs on a case-by-case basis” and listen to their “needs”. In its ZEC, operators have obtained construction permits from the municipality of Ferme-Neuve. Many people go fishing in winter. “It’s important that they go out on their porch with a little wood stove and take shelter,” he says.

Camper, 59, believes negotiations are still possible. “We’re going to make some small changes,” says Linda Paquette. We will cooperate. » But Quebec, he reiterates, must “respect the good faith” of the approved camps.