(Quebec) “To the south of the peninsula, in Chaleur Bay, they are almost on the grass! In Gaspé, we barely have snow. There are parts where we are on the hay…”
Posted at 12:00 a.m.
What you need to know
Claudine Roy launched the Traversée de la Gaspésie in cross-country skiing in 2003.
The excursion has already brought together more than 250 cross-country skiers who skied from Gaspé to Percé in one week.
The organization has just canceled the 2025 edition, in particular because of the lack of snow, for the second year in a row.
With climate change, the founder does not know what the future of the Crossing is.
The founder of the Grande Traversée de la Gaspésie (TDLG) in cross-country skiing, Claudine Roy, knew well that climate change would have effects in her neck of the woods. But she didn’t suspect they would show up so quickly.
For the second year in a row, the famous excursion was canceled this year. The board of directors had to make this heartbreaking decision, particularly because of the lack of snow.
“I would say that it is especially during the last two years that we feel a fairly marked difference,” explains M.me Roy on the line. We used to have enough snow for cross-country skiing during the holidays. Last year, the first day of cross-country skiing in Gaspé was January 16. This year, there are still a few rocks, dirt and twigs on the slopes. »
PHOTO NATHALIE MONGEAU, PROVIDED BY CROSSING THE GASPÉSIE
The founder of La Traversée, Claudine Roy
Mme Roy launched the Crossing in 2003 to promote winter tourism and show “that there is something else to do in February than going to the South,” she already told News. In its heyday, the excursion attracted up to 250 skiers and volunteers. The cross-country skiers covered more than 150 km from Gaspé to Percé.
But the future of the event is now threatened, believes its founder. Administrators will have to ask themselves serious questions about its future. “We’re going to take the time to think carefully,” she said. We don’t want to have any problems. We do this for fun. »
At the same time, transport costs have exploded since the pandemic. The costs of organizing the event are increasing.
-The founders come from the four corners of Quebec. Bringing them to Gaspésie when the snow may not be there does not hold water.
“When we cancel, people are not happy, we have to reimburse… We cannot afford to be prosecuted,” says Claudine Roy. I’m almost 70, I don’t want to lose my name. »
Snowless days and rainy days
The situation is not the same everywhere on the peninsula. Murdochville received snow. But along the coast, we are sorely lacking (although it could snow this Thursday in some places).
In Gaspé, the Mont-Béchervaise ski resort was still closed on January 22. The local cross-country ski center, for its part, managed to open with difficulty.
“For two years, we have noted a significant drop in practice days with favorable conditions,” laments Gilles Pelletier, president of the board of directors of the Les Éclairs ski club.
There are a lot more periods of rain than before, it happens in January, in February. This is something worrying.
Gilles Pelletier, president of the board of directors of Les Éclairs ski club
The absence of snow has financial repercussions for the club: faced with uncertainty, people are buying fewer seasonal tickets than before.
“Once a year, I always go to the Gaspésie park and last year, for the first time, we didn’t go skiing,” says Gilles Pelletier. It was during spring break, at the end of February, beginning of March, and we were in crampons the whole time. It made us think a lot about climate change. »
The founder of the TDLG notes that the Gaspé coastline “is becoming more and more maritime”. “It’s sad. But at the same time, it’s reality,” says Mme Roy.
These observations from cross-country skiing enthusiasts match predictions from the Ouranos research group.
In a report released in the fall, Ouranos researchers predict that near the Gaspé coast, snow-free days in winter will increase from 16 to 20 over the period 1991-2020 to 32 to 36 over the period 2041-2070. The change will be less significant on the high Gaspé peaks: from 4 to 8 days without snow to 8 to 12 days over the same periods.
Rain will increase in winter throughout Quebec. From November to March, by 2040-2070, liquid precipitation will increase from 116 mm to 180 mm in Gaspésie, indicates the report entitled Diagnosis of vulnerability of the alpine ski system to climate change.
So, are we going to see a Ski Crossing of the Gaspésie of 150 km or more on the coast again anytime soon? Claudine Roy does not want to come forward. “We don’t know at the moment. We would like that, but the current climate makes it difficult. »
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