Word from the NOSSA President Dorene Boulanger
As summer draws to an end, and we await the snowfall that signifies the beginning of winter, countless volunteers are planning for the upcoming snowmobile season. As the recently elected President of the North of Superior Snowmobile Association, I feel that it is of the utmost importance to address the shortcomings of this great District. What began in 2000 as an Association of 10 Clubs, has now declined to only 7. Two years ago, the Manitou Sno Drifters folded due to lack of community support, and more a severe lack of Volunteers willing to donate their time to the trail system maintenance. Last year, the Nipigon Bay Snow Club due to lack of volunteers, also merged with the Lake Superior Family Sno Goers. The Hornepayne Sno Bears requested a move to District 15 and it was granted. This seems to be a pattern that if this continues, our District will fail to exist.
Dollars were provided in the past by the OFSC, from the bigger, richer Clubs in Southern Ontario, to assist us in providing groomed trails, to the OFSC standard, a task that we as a District have failed to provide. These permit buyers, no matter where they come from expect, and rightfully so, to ride great trails no matter where in Ontario they come from! Trails signed to the OFSC standards, are spotty at best. Some Clubs have great signage, while their neighbour may be practically non existent. We need to ask ourselves, does our community support organized snowmobiling? Do the businesses that benefit from this winter tourism support our local Clubs? Do the communities understand that snowmobiling can only happen in an organized fashion with support from within? Are we supporting the Volunteers that brush, clear, sign and groom the trails?? The paperwork, the liability, the organizing of our Clubs rest on the backs of few volunteers, the majority of which are slowly burning out! If new blood does not step forward to assist, surely more Clubs will continue to fold up. Not every one operates a groomer, there are lots of other jobs that must be done. For instance, there is always room for Trail Wardens. We must seriously enforce Bill 101, which mandates the purchase of a Trail
permit for using the trail system. This is the law! Trails operate on a user pay system, you want to ride the trails, you must have a permit. We have decreased from 737 permits in the 2007/2008 season, to a measly 380 this past winter. We cannot continue to operate this way. It is very simple, we do not sell enough permits to maintain the trail system we have. Permit sales MUST increase! Purchasing a trail permit prior Dec 1st, remains at the same price as last year, $200. It would be nice if the price of gas remained the same as last year.
In a nutshell, this is what we as a District faced when we took over as the new Executive this past May. Due to these decrease in permit sales, the smaller Clubs are suffering. Both the White River Snobank Riders, and the Nakina Sno Club, lost their status as Clubs within the District this past summer. The only way to survive with the Clubs we had remaining, was to move forward in a different direction. In the past, each individual Club kept their portion of permit sales and used those $ to operate, while NOSSA through the OFSC funding paid for all of the fuel. We have now advanced to a District permit/ District revenue sharing model. This means that the District retains those permit revenues and then through a formula of trail kms/grooming hrs, and dollars available, each Club receives portions of their allocations throughout the winter months. This is a brand new concept for us, and no doubt will come with its share of problems, but it is a move forward. This District concept allows for all Clubs to survive, whether small or large, however we need the support of every snowmobiler in our communities. District 15 to the east last year, sold 1090 seasonal permits, while District 17 to the west of us sold 1237. Why can we not even manage to sell 500?
You the snowmobiling public, owe it to those volunteers that do all of the work, to at least purchase a trail permit to help each of the communities to survive! If you do not have a snow machine and wish to help out, call your local Club, they are in need of assistance, whether it be removing brush, enforcing the trail permits, putting up signs, or donating time to assist with paperwork. We need every bit of help we can get!
I would like to thank all the volunteers of the new Team NOSSA, that have taken up the challenge to prevail, and assist us in succeeding with our operations this upcoming season. A special thank you and congradulations to the volunteers who have kept the local Clubs alive. As we prepare to begin our 2011/2012 season, please remember to purchase your trail permit prior to December 1st and save $50. If you have a machine that is 15 years and older, you qualify for a Classic trail permit at $125. New this year, the Classic permits are available from your local Clubs.
Happy Sledding,
Dorene Boulanger
President
North of Superior Snowmobiling Association