The Groomer Guy Revealed

There’s a man in Algoma Country… they call him: The Groomer Guy. Some may wonder about him—he may be a man, a myth, a legend, but incredibly, he’s also just one among many. You see, Ontario happens to be home to the world’s largest series of interconnected snowmobile trails in the world. Winter in Ontario is simply incredible for snowmobilers—fresh powder, groomed trails, warm and friendly people and accommodations, all surrounded by landscapes and scenery that are unparalleled. 

But it doesn’t just happen by accident. It’s thanks to the efforts of people like Luc Levesque, better known as The Groomer Guy, and the thousands of other volunteers like him—men and women both—that help make Ontario a premiere destination for snowmobilers the world over.

I first met Luc Levesque at the Rosseau a couple years back. Claude Aumont was hosting a seminar and Luc was one of the attendees. I was merely a peripheral in that seminar, listening in on the great talkers that comprised the seminar that lovely winter night.

Nonetheless, in hearing what Claude and his colleagues had to say, I soon discovered that Luc Levesque, A.K.A the Groomer Guy, had a huge following online, and I was fascinated by his heart and devotion to a sport that I barely had any experience with but always enjoyed the rides as infrequent as they may have been. 

Most importantly, it was how those trails we're essentially 'groomed' and managed for the riders. Not to mention this guy was a volunteer for 17 years!! I'm sure you can see why I was so intrigued by this, I now had a better understanding of the who and how, but was also floored by the passion Luc Levesque possessed for the sport and what he did. I can relate to this passion. I too, am as equally passionate about filmmaking and telling stories, so it was, naturally, the next project that I wanted to take on.

 

So.... the idea to make a short piece on the Groomer Guy was/is part of a bigger picture. Creating awareness for the OFSC and its partners and also to shed some light on the people who make snowmobiling the OFSC trails the best in the world. That's a pretty impressive 'human' element. 

Once you get to meet Luc, you soon realize what a remarkable individual he is, and the reflection of his passion is in his trails. I've personally been on those trails courtesy of sleddealers.ca, the #1 site for new and used sleds in Canada. I was in the cab with the man during that grooming you see in the video, never seen anything like it before in my life, and rest assured, I will NEVER forget it.

 

Thanks go out to my friends Carol Caputo and Claude Aumont for sticking their necks out for this project and to Luc Levesque for being the human being that he is. I wish the best to everyone that was involved with this project and again, thank you so much for the experience!!

Click here to read a great interview with Luc Levesque.   

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