Attestation for off-highway vehicle excursion guides

Since December 31, 2021, the Act respecting off-highway vehicles (CQLR, chapter V-1.3) has required guides for off-highway vehicle (OHV) excursions to be certified to carry on such activities as part of a recreational-tourism enterprise or other enterprise.

Aventure Écotourisme Québec is the organization responsible for managing this process. The attestation is valid for three years and renewable for a further three-year period.

The purpose of this attestation is to better equip OHV excursion guides so that they can:

• Provide a safe service for tourism clients
• Gain an understanding of concepts that contribute to their own safety

The Regulation respecting the recognition of training for off-highway vehicle excursion guides (CQLR, chapter V-1.3, r. 1) was passed in 2021, as part of the Act respecting off-highway vehicles.

All off-highway vehicle excursion guides who, in return for payment, intervene with clients, travel agencies, adventure tourism enterprises and various other players in the industry, must have an attestation. However, this is not required for excursions organized within an off-highway vehicle club or an association of such clubs for the sole benefit of its members.

To receive an attestation, OHV excursion guides must take two mandatory trainings:

• Wilderness & Remote First Aid Program (Canadian Red Cross), Wilderness First Aid (SIRIUSMEDx) or Wilderness First Aid (Wilderness Medical Associates International), which teaches the necessary skills for giving first aid in the wilderness or isolated areas
• Notions de sécurité pour les guides d’excursion en véhicule hors route [French only], which equips guides to:
  • Identify and safely manage excursion-related risks
  • Commit to a continuous improvement process for supervising OHV groups