In response

Dear sir:
This letter is in response to Gary Sundmark’s letter, “Try enticement, not coercion.”
I agree with Mr. Sundmark on two issues. First, the price of trail passes is too high and anyone that knows me knows I have been very vocal about this issue. I also think the price of insurance, gas, hotel rooms, and greasy cheeseburgers is too high as well.
Secondly, I also agree a media war hurts everyone but you cannot make some allegations and write some half-truths and not be taken to task on it.
For starters, Mr. Sundmark, you and every other snowmobiler who is surprised by the presence of trail wardens on OFSC trails must have been in hibernation for the past eight years. Every year for eight years, through the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Northwestern Ontario Snowmobile Trails Association (NWOSTA), and local clubs, snowmobilers have been told the trail wardens are coming and you must have a trial pass to ride on OFSC-sanctioned trails.
I can assure you that if a snowmobiler is caught on private land for which the local club has a land use agreement with the owner and you do not have a trail pass, the warden can charge you. Contrary to what you believe or have heard through, this has always been upheld in a court of law.
There is one easy solution–if you do not want to buy a trail pass, stay off the trails! What is so hard to understand?
I would like to dish you out a quick history lesson. The Ontario government agreed to provide some funding to establish a provincial trail system through what was called SNO-TRAC in the early 1990s on the premise that it would be a “user pay system” and they would not have to keep funding it.
That, Mr. Sundmark, means if you use it, you are expected to help pay the cost of maintaining it. This is no different than a ski hill, hockey arena, or curling club. I hope you are following me so far!
The money that was made available to the clubs was to initially build the trails only, and was on a 75/25 split. This meant that if $20,000 was needed to build a trail, the government funded $15,000 and the local club had to provide the other $5,000.
The grooming equipment was funded on a 50/50 split to a maximum of $50,000 being provided by the government. Most groomers, and surely you must be aware of this, cost in excess of $100,000.
SNO-TRAC placed a heavy financial burden on the clubs–and some are still paying the price. The club in your area is no exception and is still teetering on the verge of extinction. If everyone took your approach of “Don’t Buy, Ride For Free” attitude, there would be no trail system, and I would not be writing this letter.
The OFSC already has approached the provincial government with a proposal for a gas tax rebate to fund the trail network the way Minnesota does but the government has refused.
What amazes me is your hypocritical statement about not wanting to hurt your local club’s trail pass sales. Who do you think benefits when a tourist buys a trail pass in Sioux Narrows? You signed your letter “Sioux Narrows (Where Snowmobiling is Free).” Does that mean that if I come to Sioux Narrows to snowmobile, I do not have to pay for meals, gas, or accommodations? Surely you wouldn’t think of charging a poor out-of-province smowmobiler to use your rooms or restaurants.
In fact, if all of the businesses presently benefiting from organized snowmobiling were to provide their services for free, there would be no lame excuses for not buying a trail pass (believe me, I have heard them all) and everyone would rush out and buy one, two, or maybe three.
That would mean that every freeloader who is presently using our trail system would have a trail pass and the big, bad trail wardens would not have to volunteer their time to try and enforce something that they believe in.
Just think, the local clubs finally would have enough money for once that they could actually pay an operator to sit in their groomer for up to 20 hours at a time and not expect him to do it for free. They could actually hire and be able to pay for some heavy equipment to build trails and not have to rely on a volunteers with their own chainsaw to cut and clear it.
Club members no longer would have to stand on a street corner trying to sell a $10 raffle ticket so they can raise money to buy fuel for their groomer so the poor snowmobiler can have a smooth ride to your business door.
I see this as nothing but a win/win for both parties. The clubs finally would have enough money to fund their operations and you would have a nice wide, perfectly-groomed trail right to your front door.
In your case, I hope it carries on past because I, for one, will not be stopping this winter.
Al Hymers
Past President
Dryden Power
Toboggan Club