AGM Tuesday October 2, 2018

WCSTA AGM 2015

The WCSTA Annual General Meeting is Tuesday October 2, at 7:00 PM at the Kinburn Community Centre.

We will be holding elections for two new Board Members.

As Scott Hamilton is stepping down for a much deserved break, we will be seeking a new President. Also, we really need a new Social Director. Some other positions may change also.

If you are interested in putting your name forward for a Board Position, please let Douglas Vandervelde know prior to the meeting so we can get your name on the voting roster. Email secretary@wcstai.com to reach Doug.

We hope to see a good crowd on Tuesday. Hope to see you all at the meeting.

NOTE: Doug will also have Sled Raffle Tickets at this meeting. This is your last chance to help us sell the last few remaining tickets.

Trail Patrol Course – Wed. Jan. 10th

Trail Patrol Course - Wed. Jan. 10th

OFSC Trail Patrol - there for you image

Trail Patrol Course – Wed. Jan. 10th

We are going to be training new Trail Patrol (trail wardens) on Wednesday January 10th from 7 to 9pm at Kinburn Community Centre.

Trail Patrol are on trail ambassadors for snowmobiling. We are there to promote a safe snowmobile experience for everyone, give valuable information to fellow sledders and promote our sport.

I should add this is also to get an update on your current training. We are moving to a district wide Trail Patrol not just by club. Come out to here about he changed as well. all good stuff.

Please email trailpatrol@wcstai.com to sign up or get more information.

The course is under two hours.

Thank you,
Scott Hamilton
President
WCSTAI

Important Meeting! WCSTA AGM – Tuesday September 5th

Important Meeting! WCSTA AGM - Tuesday September 5th

WCSTA AGM 2015

Very important general meeting! We need a huge turnout.

This is a transition year for our club becoming part of District management under the MOTS (More On The Snow) program. And there is a potential for big changes to our club’s management with a very important election of officers. We need West Carleton Sledders to voice their opinions and concerns to make sure  the executive and volunteers can continue to make our club great. This year it is possible that major changes will occur to your Board of Directors and Officers.

We need your support at this one annual meeting.

Also, there will be an update on the great success we have had with securing the County Rail Line as a brand new trail. There has been a huge amount of work by several club executives (including all of you who voiced political support) to make this exciting project happen.

Please join us at the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association Annual General Meeting – Tuesday September 5th, 7:00pm, at the Kinburn Community Centre.

Board of directors will be nominated and elected by our members at this meeting, and we encourage all current permit holders to join us and participate in continuing to set the course for snowmobiling in West Carleton, and representation of our club within the OFSC. Many great things have been happening for our club, and you can really help out by getting involved!

So, please come out to the AGM and see what is going on with your local club. We are continuing to try to plan more fun and exciting things this year, but we need your help to make them happen! Get to know our dynamic team of volunteers, fellow snowmobilers and hard-working directors. Here is a list of some things we are doing now, along with some new ideas brought forward by current volunteers and board members.

  • Poker run in support of the Snowsuit Fund
  • Landowners appreciation dinner
  • Braap ’n Bash event with live entertainment
  • Trail side BBQ
  • Fund raising (selling raffle tickets, trail map advertising)
  • Family free weekend
  • Day and night group rides

Immediately following the AGM the newly appointed Board will commence with the election of President, Vice President and other Officers for the 2017-2018 season.

We hope to see you there!

 

May meeting postponed

Thank you landowners from WCSTA!
Notice: The WCSTA club meeting that would ordinarily be held tomorrow (May 2) has been postponed until further notice.
Please stay tuned for the next update.

Mississippi Mills Council Meeting Tonight (April 18th)

Tonight a Mississippi Mills town council meeting is being held, and at it a motion to ban snowmobiles in the town of Almonte will most likely be tabled. Council is divided on this important decision. As before we need to see snowmobiler representation at the meeting to continue to show council that this is important and to make the right decisions.

Utilizing the rail trail in Almonte will cost taxpayers ZERO dollars, while helping the local economy and creating a tourism trail for the businesses from Snowmobilers in the winter months. We will fill the restaurants down town with business, groom a second trail for free in Almonte for non sledders. Put up signs, help pay decking of the bridges. Make slow zones in the town, this is who we are 🙂

Some of our club’s key campaigners unable to make it tonight. It would be great to have strong support from the sledding community once again. Who can make it to show sledder support? 

The A trail throught Almonte, Pakenham and Armprior is in jeopardy of being lost without this link. Urban sprawl is affecting our trails.

Thanks,
Your board of directors

When: Tuesday, April 18 at 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Where: 3131 Old Perth Rd, Almonte, ON K0A 1A0, Canada

PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK, THANK YOU

OVRT and “A” Trail Closure

Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail for ALL

There have been many posts and messages about the possibility that Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place councils might not approve motorized use of the abandoned CP Rail line, known now as the OVRT (Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail) through Almonte and Carleton Place. There is always a danger that people get tired of hearing about it and start to shut it out, but we really need every individual sledder and their family and friends to spend just a few minutes to help sway council decisions. Right now.

Why? The A Trail, our main corridor through the region is rapidly losing sections to urban sprawl and developments, and there are more sections that will be closed in the near future due to development. The A Trail will depend on the OVRT and will ultimately be cut off if you, the sledders, do not act now to ensure we get access this public corridor.  The only way that clubs can ensure that the A trail and similar trails remain viable is to share public corridors such as the OVRT. True multi-use trails (for all activities) work well in the other areas where they have been established, and with cooperation will work well here. More importantly if one municipality is allowed to exclude some users, others will follow.

What do I need to do? Despite the great business and social/economic case presented by BEAST and WCSTA representatives, it has become a numbers game. It seems to be coming down to who can send the most letters to the individual councils in support of their special interest. Non-motorized groups have been planning their attack long in advance, and they are way ahead of us in this regard. And, don’t be fooled, the number of letters received does sway councils. The case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease definitely holds true here.

We need you, your spouse, children and friends, sledders from across the District and the province to send letters today. Councils will hear us if we organize and speak out, as the other parties are doing. Many of you have already written letters, but we have several new places that need to receive them (see below).

If composing a letter isn’t your thing, please just copy/paste (and edit if you wish) the letter at the end of this post. Address it to the 2 emails below, and individual councillors if you like. Just add your name and hit “Send”. That’s it. Share this to every person you can think of, and follow up to make sure that they too have written. If we miss this opportunity, it will not come again.

What else? We need to show up in numbers (as the opponents will) Tuesday evening (April 4) as we present to Mississippi Mills Council. Once again, numbers count, and the recent Carleton Place meeting had many non-motorized supporters show up – that made quite an impact – with just a handful from the sledding corner. Wear your club shirt, jacket hat, or your sled colors. Make sure our club representatives (Scott Hamilton and Darin McRae) know you are behind them, and council knows how many sledders are watching the decisions they make.

Snowmobile clubs’ rail line proposal to Mississippi Mills – Tues. April 4th

Thank you.

The Letter:

Step 1: Please send at least 2 emails – 1 to each town at these addresses:

drogers@carletonplace.ca
clerk@mississippimills.ca

…and one directly to your councillor if you like

Step 2: Subject heading: “Motorized OVRT” or “Snowmobiles on OVRT”

Step 3: Add your name at the bottom of letter.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this email in support for the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail
(OVRT) to be established as a multi-use trail, including snowmobiles in the
winter time.

I understand that the acquisition of this corridor by the County of Lanark
was originally done under the premise of a multi-use trail (including
motorized vehicles) and feel it should continue along those lines.  Our tax
dollars are paying for it, so all taxpayers should be able to use this trail
for their own personal recreation.

I have been a snowmobiler for many years and can say with full confidence
that all users benefit from a groomed snowmobile trail. Snowmobile clubs
also have a great track record on multi-use trails in many areas of Ontario.

On trail snowmobiling is managed by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile
Clubs (OFSC) which means that the sport is regulated with trail permits,
operator licenses, insurance requirements, and pre-established speed limits.
The entire system is patrolled by volunteer trail patrol members and local
police agencies making it safe for all users.

I have recently read that both Montague and Beckwith Townships have already
endorsed the OVRT to include motorized users.  I would hope this would
continue along the entire corridor.

I trust that in your capacity as clerk you will share this email with your
council.

Respectfully,

[your name]

April Club Meeting – NEW DATE


 

The April 2017 Meeting for WCSTA will be held on Wednesday April 5th. Please join us in the board room at the Kinburn Community Centre (doors to the left of the main entrance). Meetings start at 7:00pm. Please watch this web site for notifications of any changes.

Come and find out what is happening with your club, your trails, the OFSC and snowmobiling in general. If you have a few hours to spare here or there, see if there is something that you might be interested in helping out with – every contribution large or small is appreciated! Also find out about the new volunteer incentive program rolling out this year…

Thanks to everyone for helping make this a great season. There’s in more to come… we hope to see you at the meeting!

Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail – Multi-use trail including snowmobiles

The Future of Rail Trails

As you may know, Lanark County purchased the rail bed within it’s boundaries from CP and are now undergoing community consultations for it’s use. While parts of the rail bed you know as the 311 are in use this season on a trial basis, the hope from the snowmobiling community it to continue to expand on this idea throughout the entire county, creating a trail that will give excellent access to towns and villages, as well as an uninterrupted thoroughfare for the entire length of the rail bed.

We believe that OFSC clubs and infrastructure offer great advantages with our volunteer base and great snowmobiling community, and want to work together with other interest groups to create a trail system that can be enjoyed by all. The revenue alone that snowmobiling brings to local businesses both directly and indirectly is huge.

The final of four meetings held through the region will be this Thursday Feb. 16th between 6 and 8pm in Almonte at Old City Hall. What we really need from our snowmobiling community is a strong show of support in numbers attending this event, and to hear the concerns so that we may all work together to have multi-use trails that will benefit all residents and people of all recreational interests.

Please look at the attached information sheet and join us next Thursday!

Snowmobiling Fact Sheet Feb 17 v3

https://www.facebook.com/events/1827264094152297/

First Meeting of the Season

WCSTA Club Meeting - Oct. 20, 2015 @ Kinburn Community Centre | Kinburn | Ontario | Canada

Please join us at the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association September club meeting – to be held on Tuesday September 6th, 7:00pm, in the board room at the Kinburn Community Centre (doors to the left of the main entrance).

Important changes are coming to snowmobiling in Ontario to ensure its sustainability. The first phase of this was the Framework for Change, which has been implemented over the last few years. The next phase, “More on the Snow (MOTS)” is being voted on at the OFSC AGM in September. Your understanding of these changes is very important to us and at our next WCSTA meeting on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 we will be discussing how we want our delegates to vote. If you can, please make a special effort to come to our meeting to learn more about MOTS.

The club is currently looking for volunteer coordinators, people to help with events, brushing, signage and other volunteer positions. Have any special skills that you might be willing to share to help make our club, our trails and our events even better? Please contact us.

Signage and pre-season trail work will also be key topics at this meeting. If you are one of the many people who adopted a section of trail last season, or if you would like to find out how you can help get our trails ready for the upcoming season we encourage you to join us. We hope to see you there!