On July 13, around 60 quad-riders from the Pontiac and beyond embarked on a two-and-a-half-hour journey through some of the region’s best off-road trails during the Pontiac Quad Club’s first annual ATV Rally.

The event served as an opportunity for its members to get together and enjoy the territory’s unique eye-catching scenic landscape and its diverse variety of trails while raising money for a community initiative.

Starting off at two separate points with the same destination in mind, around 20 riders started off in the parking lot of the restaurant Au Coin du Camionneur in Luskville, while the rest took off from La Jonction restaurant in Campbell’s Bay.

With signs set up at various points throughout the route, participants followed the trail with ease going from one destination to another.

At the end of the trip, the riders, joined by around 100 other local residents, rolled over to the picturesque Côte Jaunes Beach on Grand Calumet Island for an old-fashioned barbecue get together where participants were given two hot dogs, chips, a dessert and a beverage.

All the food at the barbecue was provided by Quad Club members.

During the barbecue, club President René Barrette presented a $1,200 cheque to St. Joseph’s Manor Director General Colleen Larivière to help pay for the expansion of 10 rooms to the building.

According to Barrette, the event is the ideal occasion for the club’s committee to apply its mandate of generosity and benevolence in the community.

“We want to develop the population in the Pontiac,” he said. “We want to give back to the people in the Pontiac. That’s why we do this – because the Pontiac is very beautiful.”

For Barrette, the event is very beneficial for locals as it draws people from all over the region and its outskirts to spend time and money in the Pontiac, making a positive effect on small businesses.

“It’s very important for the economy,” he said. “All these people here, they came to eat breakfast at the restaurant,” he said. “Usually, at this time it’s empty. Then, they’ll fill up on gas.”

Very successful in its inaugural iteration with a substantial number of participants, Barrette is hopeful that next year’s rally will be even bigger and better than this one.

“Next year, we want to expand the event by doing a beach party with a DJ,” he said. “Maybe even have a net to play beach volleyball and sand castle contests.”

On Saturday, the Pontiac Quad Club invited off-road junkies from all over the region to participate in its first ever ATV rally. Pictured, Quad Club President René Barrette presents a $1,200 cheque to St. Joseph’s Manor Director General Colleen Larivière on July 13.

Local rider Benjamin Kenny smiles as he finally hits the road, on Saturday morning, for the first ever Pontiac Quad Club ATV Rally.

Local riders Allisha Kenny and Nicole Larocque pose for a photo in their side by side before taking off on Saturday morning.

Quad Club trail surveillance agent Pierre Corbeil instructs the riders on the ground rules for the ride before taking off from the Coin du Camionneur in Luskville on Saturday morning.

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