Careful Riding Behaviours Help Keep Trails Available to Ride All Winter
(Barrie, ON: October 8, 2020) – Under its Trails To Ride 2021 action plan, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) has created new strategies to ensure the health and safety of everyone working on, riding on or depending on OFSC trails. These actions will also protect the snowbelt communities, hospitality providers and residents that serve OFSC trails. To accomplish this and in cooperation with snowbelt public health units, the OFSC has developed the most progressive pandemic response plan among Canadian trail user groups as a part of Trails To Ride 2021.
“Delivering the best possible trail riding experience this winter depends on everyone residing along our trails feeling safe to welcome visitors this winter.” said CEO Landon French. “The OFSC takes this responsibility very seriously and is asking snowmobilers to respect the health and safety of our host communities, landowners and trail accessible services.”
The OFSC health & safety initiative includes helping OFSC districts, clubs and volunteers to work smart and safe throughout this fall and winter. At the end of September, the OFSC provided member organizations with a comprehensive COVID-19 Best Practices resources developed in partnership with Workplace Safety North to ensure all trail work is proactively conducted following the latest protocols.
The OFSC will also be providing health & safety recommendations so snowmobilers can do their part to help keep trails available all winter. These guidelines lay out measures for being very careful when interacting with others to avoid inadvertently transmitting the virus at stops along OFSC trails.
“It’s not enough for the OFSC to get trails ready to ride and start grooming them, or for snowmobilers to just start riding without a care,” concluded French. “We also need the cooperation of every rider to help keep trails going all season by taking the necessary precautions on every ride.”
As previously announced, Trails To Ride 2021 includes trail preparations and operations this fall for the provincial trail system to achieve the OFSC’s top priority of having trails ready to groom as soon as snow conditions allow. The OFSC also has developed flexible options for trail riding. These regional and local riding alternatives will be implemented if any area might temporarily be subject to limited restrictions that impact its trails or trail services. Through this flex-trail approach and with the cooperation of all snowmobilers in respecting others, alternate trails in the 30,000-kilometre OFSC network would remain available to ride regardless.
2021 Snowmobile Trail Permits are available for purchase online at www.ofsc.on.ca along with all the early buying details to qualify for the $25 Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus until November 1st. For snowmobilers waiting on their new sleds, no VIN is required to purchase an OFSC Gift Card, which locks in the October fee and Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus now, and can be redeemed for a permit after your sled is delivered.
More OFSC strategy announcements regarding the health and safety of its members, volunteers, landowners and permit buyers will follow shortly.
The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is a volunteer led, not for profit association that provides the voice for organized snowmobiling in Ontario. OFSC snowmobile trails managed by 200 community based, member clubs generate up to $3.3 billion in economic activity in the province each year.
