FORT FRANCES—Sending the message that district motorists must obey the same laws both on and off-road, local OPP officers have been busy patrolling district snowmobile trails this winter.
“What we really want the public to know is that we are patrolling the trails,” OPP community services officer Cst. Anne McCoy said in an interview last week.
“We haven’t had that consistency before. We had enough people working, but we didn’t have a specialized unit available all the time,” she added. “Now we do, which is really great.
“It’s all within our mandate already—it’s nothing extra we’re doing,” she stressed. “But we have a specialized area now.”
Cst. McCoy noted the weather has been co-operative so far this winter, too, allowing the OPP Traffic Unit—consisting of Csts. Pete Drouin and Paul Davis—to have been out for the past three weeks straight.
She explained each detachment has officers specially-trained to patrol the snowmobile trails, but Csts. Drouin and Davis are the only ones here strictly dedicated to do so throughout the entire winter.
“It’s not always the same officers—who’s out there will rotate within the platoon that’s working and who is trained,” she noted.
The OPP has a small fleet of sleds spread across the district from Atikokan to Rainy River, and the local detachment just received two new Ski-Doo 550s earlier this month.
For those who may not have seen the OPP sleds before, they are easy to distinguish from other vehicles on the trails—white, clearly marked with OPP decals, and bearing red strobe lights officers can turn on if need be.
Likewise, officers’ snowmobile jackets and helmets also are marked with “Police” on the back and OPP crests.
“We are very clearly marked when we’re out there,” noted Cst. McCoy. “It’s quite easy to pick us out. We always patrol in pairs.
“We ask people to keep in mind that we’re out there, too. Slow down and put safety first,” she stressed.
Traffic enforcement on the trails is like that on the highway and within municipalities in that snowmobilers still must obey similar laws. Cst. McCoy said the most common problem on the trails is speeding.
“Speeding would be a main one—we’re trying to combat aggressive driving because, of course, we don’t want accidents to occur,” she remarked, adding 50 km/h is the speed limit on OFSC trails while 20 km/h is the speed limit off trails (unless a municipal bylaw says different).
Motorized snow vehicle owners and operators also must comply with the provisions of the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, which includes possessing a licence, registration, insurance, and trail permit on OFSC trails, added Cst. McCoy, noting sledders will be fined for non-compliance.
OPP officers also are looking to make sure sledders are sobre. “If they’re out ice fishing, or out for a day with their friends and family, we want to make sure we’re reducing the risk for impaired driving,” said Cst. McCoy.
“We do R.I.D.E. programs out on the snowmobile trails, as well as the highway. We can sit stationary on our snowmachines. We have emergency lights on our snowmachines,” she added.
“It’s the same as on the roads—you have to stop for red flashing lights. You have to identify yourself to the police officer. You have to provide the documents the police officer asks for.
“And we do have a ‘trailside’ screening device.”
In addition to having to comply with the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, snowmobilers have to be aware of bylaws that may exist in their own municipalities, said Cst. McCoy.
For instance, snowmobiles within the town limits of Fort Frances are as follows:
•No person shall operate a motorized snow vehicle in the town unless the operation of the vehicle is for the purpose of proceeding to or returning from a point outside of Fort Frances;
•No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle along or upon any public property, pathway, or footpath used by or set apart for the use of pedestrians;
•No person shall operate a motorized snow vehicle in the Town of Fort Frances at a speed in excess of 25 km/h;
•All motorized snow vehicles shall be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise or excessive smoke;
•No person under the age of 16 years shall drive a motorized snow vehicle within the limits of town; and
•No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle within the corporate limits of the town after 11 p.m. and not before 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, and between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
While their primary focus is snowmobile traffic, officers on the trails do check in periodically with the OPP communications centre and can respond to calls away from the trails if need be.
As well, officers in other vehicles can respond as back-up to snowmobile units when they are needed, such as when dealing with an impaired driver.
Cst. McCoy said the public is welcome to contact the police at 1-888-310-1122 and tell them about “problem areas” on the trails or lakes they’d like to see them patrol.
The public also can report any other snowmobiling incidents (whether it’s speeding, underage drivers, impaired driving, driving on private property, etc.) to the police by calling the above number or dialing *OPP by your cell phone.
(Fort Frances Times)
District OPP also will be using their snowmachines at special events, like “Snowarama” in Atikokan later this month, a poker run there in February, and to help teach snowmobile safety to youth getting their OFSC driver’s permits.
If there’s a community event anyone would like to see the OPP sleds attend, Cst. McCoy said the public is welcome to contact her at 274-3322.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
