The City of Lac-Delage sues the Empire 47 mountain bike center

The City of Lac-Delage is applying to the Superior Court to force Empire 47, a mountain bike center well known to enthusiasts from all over Quebec, to comply with municipal regulations.

The Manoir du Lac-Delage and the Immeubles des Monts, which rent land at E47, are also targeted by the legal action.

According to the originating application, E47 and the two other companies make a derogatory use of the land, which harms the environment and safety in the municipality, in particular because of “monster traffic”. It is also alleged that E47 is defying the regulations by carrying out work illegally.

In a press release published this morning by the city of Lac-Delage, it is pointed out that the development of trails can destroy vegetation and create erosion which carries particles towards the waterways and the water intake basin of Lake Saint-Charles.

The latter serves 300,000 citizens of Quebec City.

Rapid growth

Founded in 2014, E47, which defines itself as a non-profit organization, operates mountain bike trails in summer and winter on the territory of Lac-Delage, Stoneham-et-Tewksbury and Quebec City. Although the trails are mostly outside the territory of Lac-Delage, access is mainly at her home.

From 23,000 visitors in 2017 to 127,000 in 2021, traffic continues to grow, which creates a lot of tension.

In 2017, then three times in 2020, the city of Lac-Delage allowed the organization of temporary facilities, i.e. annexes to its reception building which had become too small. These were to last two years and at the beginning of 2018, E47 presented a project to develop a new $1.4 million reception building on the territory of Stoneham-et-Tewksbury.

This building was never built and the increase in traffic at E47 generates too much road traffic in the heart of the municipality of Lac-Delage, according to the press release. Pressure on sanitary facilities is also a problem.

Major impacts

Moreover, the municipality considers that E47 contravenes the regulatory uses of land used and on which only low-impact recreational activities are permitted.

“E47’s activities go well beyond the low impact category, in particular because they are aimed at a national and international clientele,” alleges the lawsuit, adding that the vast majority of site users come from outside the Quebec region.

The town of Lac-Delage says it never wanted to put an end to E47’s activities. She has tried several times in recent years to discuss with the organization to ensure compliance with its regulations.

“In good faith, we had initially trusted the organization by authorizing the establishment of temporary facilities derogating from our regulations to allow the start of their operations”, explains Guy Rochette, mayor of the City of Lac-Delage, deploring that E47 no longer plans to install its reception building in Stoneham, as planned.

Faced with the refusal to cooperate, Lac-Delage asks the Court to order the demolition or removal of the non-compliant developments and the restoration of the site.

“In view of the last weekends and the monster traffic in the city, without any measure to reduce the number of vehicles in the parking lot, not to mention the work that continues illegally for new tracks, we have no choice but to go ahead with the legal action, reluctantly, continues the mayor. For our city to remain a jewel of nature, for our lake to remain healthy, to ensure fairness and preserve everyone’s quality of life and safety, this is the only decision to be made. »