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It’s turning out to be a good season for snowmobiling

January 14, 2021   ·   0 Comments

This year is turning out to be a success for the members of the Orangeville Snowmobile Club and some other sledding clubs across Ontario as the trails are open and there is a lot of activity around the region. 

There’s a solid base on the trails although Club members would actually like to see a few more inches on the ground. 

While Orangeville trails are being used, several other clubs in the region still have not opened their trails. 

It’s a fun sport, but snowmobiling is entirely dependent on the weather. 

There are good seasons and then there are others where Mother Nature just doesn’t provide the snow needed to get your sled out on the trails. 

Because the Orangeville organization’s club house can’t be opened this year due to COVID-19, members and trail users from outside of the area have other locations around the region where they can park their trailers and unload their snowmobiles. 

For Martin Bamford, this year marks a return to the sport after not riding for years. He bought a sled, then bought a second one so his kids can be a part of it as well. 

“I was sledding when I was 16,” Martin explained. “My brother and I had a ‘79 Olympic Skidoo. This year we decided, for the kids, with no hockey and the lock-down, we were wondering what we could do for the three months of winter. This sport is something you can do independently. It’s safe and you’re not exposed to anybody. We bought these sleds in November, and brought them out on Christmas eve as a gift to the family – it was a bit of a surprise in the garage.” 

Sixteen year-old Clare Bamford, usually spends her winters on the ice playing Midget level hockey with the Brampton Canadettes. With hockey cancelled, snowmobiling is her new sport this year. 

She had never considered it before, but is really enjoying the experience. 

“It was really fun, and we got to go pretty fast,” Clare said. “I never considered it before, it was a big surprise – we weren’t expecting it. Now that I’ve been riding I’m so happy we got them.” 

There are over 30,000 km of interconnected snowmobile trails in Ontario that are groomed for riders. Local clubs belong to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs. 

Riders must have a valid pass to ride the trails and must follow all safety protocols. 

Trail marshals were out on Saturday, January 7, a big riding day, to ensure everyone on the trails had a valid pass. 

The local clubs work with many local landowners who allow the trails to run across their property and provide a huge network across the province. 

While the Orangeville District Club is out on the trails, several nearby Snowmobile Club have yet to open the trails citing lack of ground cover. In addition, riders are required to remain within the jurisdiction of their local health unit meaning long distance riding won’t happen this year. 

With the current pandemic causing restrictions or cancellations of many sports and activities, snowmobiling is seeing an increase in the number trail riders this year. 

The trails were busy on Saturday, and if the weather is consistent there’s a lot more snowmobiling left in the season. 


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