OFSC Urges Responsible Riding For International Snowmobile Safety Week

Posted on | by OFSC

Snowmobilers are reminded to only ride available trails and always practice responsible riding habits this winter season

(Barrie, ON, January 13, 2025) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), the non-profit, volunteer-driven association that oversees organized snowmobile trails in Ontario, is advising snowmobilers to remain patient as snowmobile clubs and their dedicated volunteers are actively working to prepare as many OFSC trails as possible for riding in the near future.

For International Snowmobile Safety Week (January 11-19), the OFSC reminds snowmobilers to only ride Available or Limited Availability OFSC trails and avoid riding Unavailable trails at any time during the winter. Snowmobilers can easily find out where there are Available trails to ride by checking Trail Status 24/7 on the OFSC Interactive Trail Guide (ITG) or on the OFSC Go Snowmobiling App. Trail Status shows on the ITG as:

  • GREEN for Available: The identified route is accessible with the understanding that the trail will likely vary considerably in quality, attributes and terrain over its length.
  • YELLOW for Limited Availability: Access to the identified route is limited with marginal riding opportunities, so snowmobilers enter with the understanding that they should ride with extreme care and reduced speed.
  • RED for Unavailable: The identified route is not available at this time, with access prohibited, and entering any Unavailable trail on private property is trespassing.

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OFSC 57th OFSC AGM & Convention Kicks Off New Season

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An Important Message for Ontario Snowmobilers

(Barrie, ON. September 19, 2024): On September 13 and 14, more than 350 grassroots volunteers – representing 179 community-based OFSC member snowmobile clubs from across Ontario – gathered in Muskoka to officially kick off the 2024/2025 season! The annual meeting and convention provide an opportunity for volunteers to reconnect with peers, collaborate, and discuss shared challenges and successes. Importantly, it is also an opportunity to celebrate their incredible contributions to a sport that can generate up to $6B annually in Ontario.

No Increase on 2025 Permit Fees
OFSC AGM is also when Member Clubs vote on Ontario Snowmobile Trail Permit fees for the upcoming season. Our members, alongside our program partners at the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), are pleased to announce that there will be no increase in 2025 Ontario Snowmobile Trail Permit fees. Revenue from permit sales allows the OFSC to continue to make investments into the provincial snowmobile trail network through groomer acquisitions and refurbishment, major infrastructure replacement and maintenance, and trail preparation and grooming operations.

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Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Celebrates Millions of Moments

Posted on | by OFSC

 

“A volunteer is a person who willingly takes part in an endeavour
or undertakes a task with no expectation of compensation.”

 

(April 4, 2024 – Barrie, ON): Millions and millions of moments. This represents the accumulated time donated by tens of thousands of club volunteers to building 30,000 kilometres of recreational snowmobile trails metre by metre since founding the not-for-profit Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) in 1967.

An OFSC Volunteer Contribution Survey indicated that OFSC volunteers contributed nearly 479,779 total volunteer hours to snowmobiling in Ontario in 2022/23. The monetary equivalent of these total volunteer hours in 2022/23 is an estimated $16.4 million. That equates to millions of moments and millions of dollars of donated volunteer time over the past 55 years.

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IMPORTANT OFSC UPDATE FOR PROVINCIAL SNOWMOBILE SAFETY WEEK

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Snowmobilers Must Check Interactive Trail Guide Before Riding OFSC Trails

(January 11, 2024 – Barrie, ON): The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) launches Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week (January 13 – 21) by cautioning snowmobilers to always go online to consult the OFSC Interactive Snowmobile Trail Guide (ITG) before riding. Introduced in 2010, the proprietary ITG is well established as the sole authorized source for the status of 30,000 kilometres of OFSC Snowmobile Trails.

With the unusually late start to this winter, this Safety Week update is especially important because most OFSC Prescribed Snowmobile Trails have been unavailable for recreational riding as of this date. Making trails ready to ride requires prolonged sub-zero temperatures to set a deep frost into the ground and to freeze waterways and swamps solid, along with enough snow that groomers can pack a durable trail base. This essential and weather-dependent process is only beginning and may take a while to happen, so the OFSC emphasizes that riders must check trail status on the ITG to avoid trails that are not ready for snowmobiling at this time.

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SNOWMOBILE TRAILS IN ONTARIO CAN GENERATE ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT UP TO $6B

Posted on | by OFSC

New Study Reveals Rising Numbers For OFSC Snowmobiling

2022-2023 At A Glance

  • Snowmobiling-related Economic Activity for Ontario: $3B – $6B Annually
  • Expenditures by OFSC Snowmobile Trail Riders: $1.48 Billion
  • Full Time Jobs Supported by OFSC Snowmobile Trails: 9,307
  • Taxes Generated by OFSC Snowmobile Trails: $538 Million

(Barrie, ON. November 9, 2023) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) has released a new study, “The Economic Impact of Snowmobile Trails in Ontario”, based on expenditure data from the 2022-2023 season. This 2023 report clearly shows that the provincial network of over 30,000 kilometres of OFSC Prescribed Snowmobile Trails is Ontario’s most valuable recreational trail network and a key pillar of our winter tourism economy. As a volunteer-led, not-for-profit association with 181 member organizations, the OFSC manages these premier snowmobile trails, which connect snowbelt communities while providing safe, enjoyable, and environmentally sustainable riding experiences for Ontarians.

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OFSC Celebrates National Snowmobiling Day October 28

Posted on | by OFSC

It’s Time To Get Ready For The 2024 Season!

(Barrie, ON. October 23, 2023): The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) invites snowmobilers and other winter lovers to celebrate National Snowmobile Day with us on Saturday, October 28th. Canada has enjoyed a rich snowmobile heritage since Joseph-Armand Bombardier introduced the first “Ski-Doo” in 1959, an iconic debut that made 17th place on the CBC’s 2007 list of “The Greatest Canadian Inventions”.

Today, organized snowmobiling in Canada is a volunteer-driven, trail permit funded recreational activity  united nationally through the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) and managed by 12 provincial and territorial snowmobile associations representing 729 non-profit clubs. Over 1.5 million family participants enjoy 130,700 kilometres of marked, mapped and maintained recreational snowmobile trails connecting thousands of snowbelt communities and creating over $9.3 billion in economic impact and 41,000 related jobs annually.

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