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Please join us at the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association Annual General Meeting – to be held on Tuesday May 3rd, 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 setting the course for snowmobiling in West Carleton, and representation of our club within the OFSC for next season.
Come out to see what is going on with your local club. We have a new clubhouse and will be doing many more fun and exciting things next year. Come out and join our dynamic team of fellow snowmobilers. 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
Trail side BBQ
Swap meet (new for 2016/17 season)
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 2016-2017 season.
We hope to see you there!
Hello everyone,
WCSTA will be taking nominations for the following end of year awards. If you have someone you would like to nominate, please email contact@wcstai.com with a description of the wonderful things they did to help the club
Your board of directors will be voting on this in one weeks time, so get them in please. There will be some prizes awarded……
1. WC Volunteer of the Year
2. WC Family of the Year
3. WC Safe Snowmobiling Ambassador
4. WC Outstanding Snowmobile Promotion
5. WC Rookie Volunteer of the Year
6. WC Trail Patroller of the Year
Thanks and Happy Easter Weekend!
To all WCSTA Landowners and Snowmobilers;
You are cordially invited to join us for a Landowners Appreciation Dinner on Saturday April 2, 2016 at 6:00pm in the Kinburn Community Centre. All West Carleton and Mississippi Mills Landowners who graciously allow us to use their land for our local trails are welcome. Without your generosity the West Carleton Snowmobile Club would not have trails.
RSVP to landowners@wcstai.com, or by phone (613) 852-7271
Food: Spaghetti dinner including dessert, served up by Sammy’s Pizzeria Restaurant of Dunrobin. All non alcholic drinks are included. Cash bar is available.
Please let us know if you have any food allergies.
This dinner is sponsered by the local WC Snowmobile Club and Eli El-Chantiry, Councillor for West Carleton-March.
All WC Snowmobilers are invited to come and enjoy dinner with our landowners. We will be charging snowmobilers a small fee for dinner to help offset the costs. Please come out and help show our gratitude!
Thank you to the Landowners of Mississippi Mills and West Carleton!
As advised by the OFSC, the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association has no intentions of pursuing easements.
Should any folks have concerns or questions, below is the link to the OFSC Website Statement regarding the current Land Use Agreements and Bill 100.
On a related note, as Bill 100 has now progressed to the consultation process, the OFSC is on record of supporting any revisions to the Bill which would address landowners concerns.
We continue to promote our message that the OFSC and our member organizations respect the rights of landowners and we do not have any intention of utilizing easements. The OFSC prefers to use the traditional time tested land use agreement process which has, and continues to serve landowners and clubs well.
Please refer to this link of more information on Bill 100 pertaining to Snowmobile Clubs.
http://www.ofsc.on.ca/content/landowner-concerns-respect-access-snowmobile-trails
Thanks
Trails are now closed. Thanks to our landowners and permit buyers
Snowmobilers are being warned to stay off of area OFSC Prescribed snowmobile trails effective immediately as the snowmobile season has come to an end. These trails are now reported as “Unavailable” (Red) on the OFSC Interactive Trail Guide at www.ofsc.on.ca, because area clubs have stopped regular grooming operations, and signs and stakes are being removed and gates and fences closed. Snowmobilers are also advised that rapidly deteriorating snow and ice conditions due to spring thaw make snowmobiling extremely hazardous anywhere. Roads and road crossings are now generally bare and the ice on all waterways is melted, melting or unstable, and now the only safe and sensible course of action for snowmobilers is to put away their sleds until next winter. The risks of trying that ‘one last ride’ are simply too high now that spring thaw has commenced.
The public is also reminded that an OFSC snowmobile trail on private land reported as “Unavailable” means that access to that trail is also prohibited for any other users or persons for all other seasons, without the specific prior permission of the landowner. On behalf of our clubs and volunteers, we want to thank all of the landowners who have generously allowed the use of their property for an OFSC snowmobile trail this winter. We also appreciate the support of the many snowmobilers who bought trail permits to help pay their share of the cost of trail operations for the past season.
A very special thanks is also extended to all of the club volunteers who donated their services to assist local clubs in providing a successful season of snowmobiling. Although the winter is over, snowmobiling has become a year round business, so many volunteers will start immediately to plan and prepare for next winter.
We are actively looking to fill a number of roles within the West Carleton club, as well as looking for individuals, groups or families to ‘adopt’ sections of trail and help with signing and maintenance of them. If you are interested in helping out, please let us know.
Since the December 29 snowstorm, my office has heard some concerns from residents regarding the snowmobile trails in West Carleton.
The snowmobile trails are not open for the season yet. The West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association (WCSTA) is responsible for the trails and are currently working on ensuring conditions are appropriate for safe traveling before they are officially opened for the season.
Even though there is snow on the ground the WCSTA notes that the trails are still unsafe and riding on them constitutes trespassing on landowners’ private property. Snowmobilers out beforehand are violating the law and the police can be contacted. Snowmobilers must also obtain a permit to use the trails. Please visit www.wcstai.com for permit information.
The WCSTA notes that the ground needs to be cold enough to freeze the boggy and swampy areas in the region and hard enough to support to the weight of grooming machines. There are rocks and stumps that aren’t covered and there’s no base to protect the machine from those obstacles. The WCSTA hope the trails will to be safe by the middle of January and suggest checking trail status by using their online map (http://ofsc.mapbase.ca/viewer/).
I would also like to stress to everyone that the trails are meant for everyone’s use. Pedestrians and snowmobilers alike need to be respectful of each other. Snowmobilers should slow down when passing pedestrians. Pedestrians should move off to the side of the trail to allow snowmobiles to pass by safely. As well, dogs must be leashed at all times, no matter if they are on a snowmobile trail, in the forest or in a park (unless otherwise noted). Please review the City’s Animal Care & Control By-Law NO. 2003-77. (ottawa.ca/…/respecting-animal-care-and-control-law-no-2003-…).
We have beautiful trails and breathtaking forests that are usable by everyone. Please be respectful of each other, so we can all enjoy the beauty that is West Carleton!
Thank you to the WCSTA for their ongoing hard work, and to the generous landowners who allow their property to be used during snowmobiling season.
(Barrie, ON – December 17, 2015) – With early snow forecast this weekend in some parts of Ontario, winter’s on the way and so is the 2016 snowmobiling season. But it’s not time to start sledding yet and for safety’s sake, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) cautions snowmobilers to keep their sleds parked and stay off OFSC trails for the time being.
Even going for a short snowmobile ride can be very dangerous at this time of year with the existing poor conditions. The ground, waterways and swamps are not frozen yet, nor is there enough snow base to protect yourself or your sled from terrain irregularities or other obstacles. Grooming operations have not started yet, so no OFSC trails are available to ride and all access to trails on private property remain closed. Snowmobilers are also reminded to stay off public roads and avoid trespassing on farmers’ fields.
For updates on trail status across Ontario, the OFSC recommends that snowmobilers visit the Interactive Trail Guide atwww.ofsc.on.ca
OPP/OFSC Release – OPP OFSC Joint News Release Be Prepared 21DEC15
Snowmobile trails still dangerous
Jan. 1 – We would like to remind riders that West Carleton Trails are not yet open, which means they are unsafe, and riding on them constitutes trespassing on our landowners’ private property.
We are in agreement with The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs’ statement, urging snowmobilers to hold off on their first ride of the season until trail conditions improve.
“We’ve got a whack of snow, but the ground is still warm. There’s no base there,” said Craig Nicholson, a spokesperson for the organization. “If people were to try to go out, they’re taking some dangers in their hands because there’s a whole lot of irregularities on the bare ground.”
The ground needs to be cold enough to freeze the boggy and swampy areas in the region and hard enough to support to weight of five- to seven-tonne grooming machines. And there are rocks and stumps that aren’t covered and there’s no base to protect the machine from those obstacles.
Please trust that we, the West Carleton Club are as eager as anyone to get out and start grooming the trails and are also in the process of assessing signage that has blown down by high winds on Christmas eve. The Club will keep everyone posted. For now we all need to will the temperatures to help get all of those water crossings and swamps you don’t normally even know are there during the season to freeze up.
Time to prepare
Nicholson encourages snowmobilers to take this time to check on their machines to make sure they are running safely and to ensure they have a first aid kit, a survival kit and a tow cable.
“As much as everybody is eager now to get out, and I’m as eager as anyone else, you’ve got to be really careful where you go,” he said.
According to Nicholson, it might seem like this is a particularly late start to the season, but the past two winters have been much colder than usual.
He anticipates the trails will to be safe by the middle of January and suggests riders check on the status of trails in their area by using his organization’s online map before heading out.
Thanks, and we hope to see you on the trails soon!
Buy now and save! Get your 2015-2016 seasonal permit by Dec. 1 2015 and save $50 off the seasonal permit fee of $260. Winter’s coming!