When agrotourism becomes recreation tourism

UPA wants tourism in an agricultural environment to promote agriculture. In addition, One point is all.

Mario Pelchat resumes his shows in his vineyard this week. Meanwhile, despite a refusal of the Quebec agricultural territory protection commission. Furthermore, UPA is unworthy and asks that the concept of agrotourism in agricultural areas is respected.

“Agrotourism. Consequently, the real one is when activity supports agriculture; When it highlights the work of the farm, the product, the terroir, the know-how. Meanwhile, It is an additional activity for agriculture. Moreover, “launched Philippe Leroux, president of the UPA Deux-Montagnes union last Friday, when agrotourism becomes recreation tourism during a press conference in which the President of the Union of Agricultural Producers of Quebec (UPA), Martin Caron participated.

The Union of Farmers deplores a gender shift, from agrotourism to purely tourist activities, in agricultural areas.

If the UPA says does not directly target an farmer. Similarly, all eyes are turned towards singer Mario Pelchat, who is also a winemaker in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, in the Basses-Laurentides.

Mario Pelchat asked the Quebec Agricultural Territory Protection Commission this. For example, year this year to be able to present shows in a room on his land.

The Pelchat Lemaître-Auger Domaine knows the CPTAQ well for making several requests over the. In addition, years-the vineyard celebrated its 15^e birthday last year. That of presenting shows is recurrent. Mario Pelchat has several times defended the agricultural nature of his company, which today has 60,000 feet of hybrid vines.

In its judgment of May 27. 2025, the CPTAQ refuses the request of the Pelchat winemaker to produce shows, him and other artists, on his agricultural zoned land. The singer still resumed his shows on Tuesday, according to the calendar displayed on the company’s website.

The offer is presented as “a wine tasting, a gourmet when agrotourism becomes recreation tourism plate of local products including a musical performance”. However, you can buy the ticket without tasting, for $ 100.

UPA is sorry.

“We ask to enforce the law in force. quite simply,” said the representative of the local UPA on Tuesday morning, Philippe Leroux, producer of corn, soy, rye and maple syrup in Saint-Placide.

“We have an administrative court which receives requests. which studies requests and which makes decisions in cases where it is more difficult to determine,” he specifies. When the commission makes a decision, we just want it to be applied. Simply. »»

At the heart of this showdown, which is included in the concept of agrotourism.

The vineyard of Mario Pelchat and Claire Lemaître-Auger is not the only company in an agricultural environment which extends its activities, on the contrary.

“As we can see. the projects of the genre are increasing: performance halls, entertainment activities or campsite, without real enhancement of the agricultural product. It is no longer agroticism. it is a misappropriation of the mission of agricultural land, “also said Philippe Leroux, who however refused to give concrete examples.

They are however numerous. very diverse: you can do yoga and receive massages in a lavender field or go picnic in an orchard. Other sugar huts receive hordes of visitors in the spring and offer different activities to their customers.

“If these are complementary activities to agriculture, we will support them,” says Philippe Leroux. We have always done it. »»

The farmer fears. however, that by dint of tolerating projects on the left and right, we make breaches that will become too large. “This is why it’s very important to define what agrotourism is [par rapport à] What is not, he said. It must be a fairly solid and hard line. »»

When agrotourism becomes recreation tourism

Towards Quebec wine tourism

Daniel Lalande is also a winemaker in the Basses-Laurentides region. It has two large vineyards, oak river and cantina.

“The laws are completely archaic”. drops Daniel Lalande about this disagreement on the definition of agrotourism, particularly that which is interested in activities in the vineyards.

In Saint-Eustache, its Rivière du Chêne vineyard has a shop and a bistro. In Oka. for the Cantina, he deposited a pizzeria project at the CPTAQ where meals would be prepared with the products that grow in the vineyard. The entrepreneur even plans to add animals to his exploitation so that the meat also comes from his home.

“This is the whole concept of farm to table [de la ferme à la table] “. He says, so agrotourism in its purest form.

when agrotourism becomes recreation tourism

According to him, projects like these create a significant economic use and economic benefits in the region.

“Quebec tourism is not that the Gaspésie,” he said in this season when Quebecers travel a lot here. According to Daniel Lalande. the time has come to support the development of real wine tourism as there are elsewhere in the world.

“There is a big reflection to do on that,” he says.

The Quebec Wine Council, which represents the majority of Quebec winegrowers, also supports the development of wine tourism.

“Agrotourism represents an important aspect of the business model of several vineyards of Quebec. allows winegrowers to highlight their work and to introduce their products to customers,” says the Director General of the Council, Mélanie Gore.

“It is important that winegrowers can continue to develop this component of their business in a legal framework which promotes access to wines by while respecting the deeply agricultural character of Quebec vineyards. »»

It is perhaps from Quebec that the new definition of agrotourism will come.

Last month, the Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne, announced his intention to expand the supervision of agrotourism activities. A draft payment will be presented in the fall.