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Snowmobile club needs volunteers – trails may close

April 18, 2013   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Local snowmobilers may find themselves having to go to the trouble of trailering their sleds to other regions if the Alliston and District Snowmobile Club can’t fill volunteer positions to help with administration and maintaining the trails for next year.

“There is a very small group of people who install and maintain the trail system,” said club executive member Adam Hutchinson. “There’s a lot of snowmobilers in the area, but no one is stepping up to help.”

The club, which has been around since 1978, maintains 120 km of trails in the region covering an area which spans Highway 89 in the south, up to Highway 90, and from Airport Road to the east side of Country Road 56.

The trails are a link to more than 32,000 km of trails that stretch all across Ontario.

Buying a permit allows riders to use the trails, but they still have to be maintained.

“There are thousands of people who use the trails,” Hutchinson explained. “The permit costs only cover insurance and grooming the trails. There’s also a copious amount of paperwork to be done.”

Installing and maintaining the trails is only one aspect of keeping the system open and running.

“In our area most of the trails are on private land. We have to contact land owners.” Hutchinson said of the extra work that goes into maintaining goodwill with local farmers who allow the trails to cross their property.

On top of that, volunteers must go out into the community and make sure permits are available for sale at local stores and businesses.

Financially, the club is doing okay, but without actual bodies to get the work done, the trails can’t be maintained.

“It’s not a matter of money,” Hutchinson said. “We need people to take over these positions. We need some new blood – younger people to step up.”

Currently the executive on the club are seasoned people who have already put in the time and effort to make sure the trails can be used each year and now would like some younger sledders to take over.

“Anyone who wants to put in the time can do it,” said Hutchinson. “If we don’t fill the positions we’ll have to shut it down.”

The club is hoping that local sledders who use the trails and want to make sure they stay open will make offer their services at the upcoming Annual General Meeting.

The AGM will take place at the Silver Brook Golf Club in Lisle on April 23.

For more information on the ADSC, you can visit the club’s website at www.adsc.ca

You can find out how to volunteer by attending the AGM or by contacting Adam Hutchinson at 705-435-2651, or by email at tyoga@rogers.com

By Brian Lockhart

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