Denis Leclerc is an important figure in the history of the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt. This man full of ambition has been part of the organization since its inception in 1983. At the request of Mr. Camille Rouillard, Mayor of Valcourt and Mr. Gérard Parent, President of Bombardier Snowmobile Division, Denis Leclerc agreed to take the relay of the International Snowmobile Festival alongside his acolyte Adélard Ratel, representative of the Grand Prix Saint-Laurent.
Ready to do anything for the sustainability of the event
In 1985, Mr. Leclerc became general manager of the International Snowmobile Festival. The third edition of the event was going to be a whole new challenge.
« At that time, Bombardier Inc. was planning to scale back its involvement in the International Snowmobile Festival, says Denis. Fortunately, I was mandated by Mr. Camille Rouillard, supported by Carmen Juneau, deputy, and the surrounding municipalities of Valcourt, to submit a project and make the representations in order to perpetuate the International Snowmobile Festival in Valcourt. »
Thanks to the involvement of major sponsors and sanctioners, Bombardier Inc. revised its decision and remained a major partner of the event.
The challenge was going to be even greater
Everyone was ready for the third edition of the International Snowmobile Festival. However, three weeks before the event, Mr. Adélard Ratel, representative of the Grand Prix Saint-Laurent and responsible of the racing committee, died. While the Journal de Montréal announced on the front page the end of the event in Valcourt due to the death of the race manager, Denis Leclerc had not said his last word.With great determination and by rallying his entire team around him, the event was a resounding success in memory of Mr. Ratel. Even today, Denis mentions that this period was one of the greatest challenges he had to face.
The event had to prove itself
In 1989, the organization had to review its priorities to once again ensure the sustainability of the event. « Bombardier Recreational Products, which had serious financial challenges, says Denis Leclerc. In this movement, the abolition of the Festival in order to make it mainly a racing event had been decided. The elected officials asked me to make representations to Bombardier to present a reduced budget. »Fortunately, the involvement of new sponsors allowed the reduction of the Bombardier grant. With a one-year reprieve to prove the self-financing capacity of the Grand Prix de Valcourt, the 1990 festivities were a success. At the same time, Denis Leclerc accepted the presidency of the event.
Recognition of his involvement
Over the years, Denis Leclerc has been recognized many times for his excellent work and his involvement in the City of Valcourt. In 1986, he received the Prix Eugène-Lalonde from the St-Jean Baptiste society of the diocese of Sherbrooke. This prize highlights the significant contribution of a personality from the region to the cause of sport in the diocese of Sherbrooke.In addition, in 1995, the Grand Prix du tourisme estrien awarded Denis Leclerc the title of “ tourism builder in Estrie ”, a prize specially created on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Grand Prix du tourisme estrien in order to honor the individuals and businesses who have contributed to making the region an attractive tourist destination. He also received a Tourism Ambassador mention in 1996.
Long involved in the community
Denis Leclerc remained president of the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt until 2009. The following year, he left his position as general manager of the City of Valcourt. Although he took early retirement after 34 years of service in Valcourt, Denis continued to be involved in the region.In 2014, he accepted the position of president of the Maison des jeunes de Valcourt until 2017. In 2018, Denis Leclerc joined the Valcourt Chamber of Commerce as president. He held this position for a year before retiring in 2019.Health forcing him to rest after all these years of involvement in the Valcourt region, the organization wanted to highlight the many achievements of Denis Leclerc.
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