Jean-Paul “Eddy” Fortier loved snowmobile and crosscountry: the impossible combo. In 1970, he made his choice: it was the cross-country skiing. He converted his family to crosscountry by selling his “ski-doos”. Actively involved in clearing and opening crosscountry trails, his first trail that ran from Mont-Rolland to Piedmont was built between 1972 and 1979. He created the “Club des monts” of Mont-Rolland. Eddy rounded up more than 250 members in 1975. He published his first Mont-Rolland cross-country trail map in 1976. With the help of his friends, Eddy s built the “Relais du père Eddy” in 1987. Right to the end, in 1993, Eddy worked on and helped maintain his trail network.