“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.

So, it’s entirely appropriate that the OFSC celebrates our volunteers throughout the month of April including celebrating Volunteer Canada’s National Volunteer Week running April 14 to 20th and by embracing their campaign theme: “Every Moment Matters”. The collective moments contributed by OFSC club volunteers are not only the foundation of organized snowmobiling. A 2022/23 economic impact study commissioned by the OFSC indicates that the OFSC Prescribed Trail System operated by these extraordinary volunteers is the mainstay of winter tourism in Ontario, generating up to $6 billion in annual economic impact.

“Every minute of volunteer time deserves our recognition and appreciation,” said Ryan Eickmeier, OFSC CEO. “Without volunteers, Ontario’s premier winter tourism activity simply wouldn’t exist. Thank you to one and all.”

Every year, the OFSC’s army of over 6,000 volunteers makes every minute count. Individuals volunteer for a range of snowmobiling-related functions, including governance (from OFSC board to clubs), directors of operations, field and districts, running clubs and club functions, administrative work, communication, fundraising, marketing, maintenance and repair, groomer operations and many other activities.

Throughout every fall, these volunteers prepare 30,000 kms of snowmobile trails, then operate them all winter, and finally shut the entire system down in the early spring – only to repeat the annual cycle again next year. It’s a massive undertaking that requires special skills, acquired expertise, stamina, patience, and countless moments of volunteer time, every one of which matters. Their efforts benefit tens of thousands of Ontarians, from snowmobilers to snowmobile businesses, and from mom ‘n’ pop services to hospitality providers, as well as more than 18,000 landowners and hundreds of snowbelt communities connected by OFSC snowmobile trails.

This winter more than ever, every moment mattered. On two different occasions, OFSC club volunteers succeeded in making a little of something out of a lot of nothing. Following a rare blast of snow in mid-January, our volunteers rose to the challenge, making over 15,000 km of OFSC trails available to ride within a week – an astounding 23,000% trail availability increase in record time. Then as the Family Day Weekend approached in mid-February more snow fell, so our volunteers put their personal lives on hold yet again by committing tens of thousands of moments to provide over 10,000 km of trails for Ontario families to enjoy for the holiday – a 900% trail availability increase! Yes, winter wouldn’t be the same without OFSC volunteers and that’s why their Every Moment Matters.

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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 recreational snowmobile trails managed by community based, member clubs and their volunteers generate up to $6 billion in economic activity annually.

For questions or to schedule a media interview with the OFSC, please contact: [email protected]

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.

“As we await the cooperation of Mother Nature, I urge snowmobilers to make safety their #1 priority,” said Ryan Eickmeier, OFSC CEO. “Our clubs are eagerly awaiting the right conditions to make trails available, and the Interactive Trail Guide (ITG) is the place to go for trail status information.”

When consulting the ITG, snowmobilers should be aware of the following trail status categories:

• Available Trails are coloured GREEN, meaning that the identified route(s) is accessible with the understanding that the trail will likely vary considerably in quality, attributes and terrain over its length, and that snowmobilers enter exercising care and caution at all times.
• Limited Availability Trails are coloured YELLOW, meaning that the identified route(s) is limited with marginal riding opportunities, so snowmobilers enter with the understanding that they should exercise extreme care and caution while reducing speed.
• Unavailable Trails are coloured RED meaning that the identified route is not available at this time, access is prohibited and anyone entering the property may be trespassing, so snowmobilers must not enter under any circumstances.

The OFSC also urges snowmobilers not to be fooled by an early snowfall or a skim of new ice into placing their lives in peril by travelling on newly formed or untested ice, riding off trail or running on public roads, none of which is a responsible alternative to GREEN or YELLOW trails as indicated on the ITG. The OFSC appeals to every snowmobiler not to head out for that first ride of this season too soon, and even when trails show GREEN or YELLOW on the ITG, always put personal safety first and ride responsibly by not taking unnecessary chances.

 

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The OFSC is committed to proactive leadership in promoting safe, responsible recreational riding on OFSC Prescribed Snowmobile Trails, by building safer snowmobiling knowledge, attitudes and behaviours through rider education, safety legislation development and enforcement.

 

For questions or to schedule a media interview with the OFSC, please contact: [email protected]