History of snowmobiling in Quebec

The first snow vehicle was designed and built in Valcort, Quebec by Joseph Armand Bombardier in 1937, and was used primarily for delivering mail and carrying children to school in remote areas of Québec. Large snow storms prevented the clearing of roads for most of the winter and Bombardier was quite successful marketing his machine. Government rationing during World War II  restricted the market for this machine, so Bombardier designed a vehicle for military use. In 1948 the Quebec Government mandated the clearing of all rural roads, so Bombardier found a new market in the forestry industry. He spent the next decade working on his dream of building a smaller snow vehicle for recreational use. In 1959 he brought to market this new snowmobile that was to be named “ski-dog”. The print shop however, made an error and the materials were printed “ski-doo”, so Bombardier decided to use the name “ski-doo”. Sales of this vehicle skyrocketed, and over two hundred manufacturers produced nearly five hundred thousand snowmobiles in 1970. Unfortunately, Bombardier passed away in 1964, so he never observed the tremendous level of success his invention would achieve.

Quebec’s historical connection to the development of the snowmobile is important because it helps to explain their commitment to preserving the region as the world’s greatest snowmobiling destination.

The Setting

The province of Quebec is located to the north of the northeast United States. It is comprised of 595,402 square miles, making it roughly 11 times the size of the state of New York. The landscape is as varied as it is beautiful.

The official language of Quebec is French and its cities and institutions have a distinctly European feel. There is a common belief that the winter season should be celebrated, not just endured. This type of attitude produces outstanding winter activities such as, The Winter Carnival, the annual construction of the Ice Hotel, dog sledding, ice climbing and of course snowmobiling.

Trail System

The Quebec snowmobile trail system is network of over twenty thousand miles of groomed trails. Most trails have route numbers and traffic signs posted. The trails are maintained by a central body called the Federation de Club Motoneige Quebec (FCMQ) and hundreds of snowmobile clubs through out Quebec. The maintenance of the trail system is funded by a fee charged to those who buy a trail pass. The trail system extends to most regions of the province and there are few if any obstacles to the continuity of the system. There are 300 foot suspension bridges, ferry boats, trucks for crossing the Saint Lawrence River and hotels that will pick you and your snowmobile up if the trail does not extend to their establishment. This unique “infrastructure” allows for a snowmobiler to design a circuit or tour of a region; whereby a trip becomes a real adventure, with an itinerary and different lodging every night.

Trail Side Services

The services available on the trail range from motels with fast food to luxurious hotels with 5 course meals. Snowmobiling is a six billion dollar per year industry in Quebec, with a significant portion of it coming from Europe and the U.S. Bonvoyage has an ongoing relationship with many of the shops, inns, restaurants and repair facilities in the region. We use service providers who offer a high level of care and customer service to our clients.

Long Season

Our trips generally take place in the region north of the Saint Lawrence River. It is an area known for a healthy winter season. There have been many times in recent history where riding conditions were poor or nonexistent in the northeast U.S., while 3.5 hours north of the U.S. border conditions were excellent. Bonvoyage trips are scheduled according to conditions in the region. With the last few years as a guideline, our trips generally take place between January 5th and April 7th.