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- Andrew Ryeland COMMUNITY,
CONTENT & COMMERCE The 3 “C”s of the Internet are equally applicable to our
experience as ATVers in the Parry Sound District and a model for
all of Ontario! COMMUNITY
Our FOUR WHEELIN’ WOMEN raised over $5,000 for Breast Cancer
Treatment in their charity ride on June the 8th. This money will add to the coffers of the West Parry Sound
Health Unit, specifically tagged for equipment to aid in the
effort to detect and eradicate this devastating disease.
The goals of the group, to introduce women to the joys of
ATVing, were met and judging by the smiles and pictures (www.fourwheelinwomen.com)
Parry Sound will be fondly remembered as a great host. The Ontario Camp of the Deaf went out of their way to provide
some great trails and a very welcoming environment.
Local and corporate
sponsors joined in this great community event and also pitched in
to keep the movement alive by sponsoring the ladies’ ATV
trailer. The trailer
is a great ambassador for our district as it travels all over the
province to ATV events. You
may even see it around town during special events. Be sure to drop by and get all the local and provincial ATV
news first hand. CONTENT
The Parry Sound Club
continues to be the envy of other clubs with an event schedule
that draws enthusiasts and the curious from all over Ontario.
We have hosted many club events that promote the responsible,
innovative and fun aspects of our sport and we continue to look to
the future with even more activities. Our next public event is scheduled for Saturday September
28th … our FALL COLOUR RIDE. Watch for more details, as we get closer to that time.
First we all have to kick back and enjoy our summer!
Trails … “Where
can I ride?” is probably our most asked question. We are
actively engaged in securing ATV trails that meet and exceed all
the aspects of our members’ desires. We are very conscious of the environmental and community
responsibilities entailed in this process as well. But here we are making great headway!
PARTNERSHIPS First, we are very pleased that the Canadian All-Terrain Vehicle Distributors Council (CATV) has teamed with the Canadian Ecology Centre and FedNor to launch the ATV NATUREWATCH / VTT ÉCO-LOGIQUE initiative. This is a Canada wide programme aimed at promoting responsible, safe and exciting opportunities for families, community groups and tourists to explore nature in our captivating country. Additionally ATV NATUREWATCH / VTT ÉCO-LOGIQUE project promotes a code of behaviour for all ATVers that is a road map to continued enjoyment of our pastime and should yield many more locations for ATV trails.. We strongly encourage ATV owners to exploit this group’s offering. More info can be obtained on their web site at www.ATVNW.ca (English) and www.VTTEL.ca (French). Secondly, we are very excited that we have had a very constructive meeting with the Parry Sound Snowmobile District (PSSD) regarding sharing existing snowmobile trails in this District! Supported by The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), Parry Sound Snowmobile District is prepared to take a leadership role in this process through the creation of a Pilot Project. The Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV), represented in this area by the Parry Sound ATV District Club (PSATV), is eager to partner with PSSD in this ‘watershed’ agreement. All of Ontario will be looking to Parry Sound and the lessons we learn and co-operation we muster as a model for shared use of trails throughout the province. Thirdly, the townships of McKellar and Whitestone have invited the PSATV to partner with them on a Joint Trails Committee to develop ATV routes in their respective jurisdictions. This co-operation is encouraging and bodes well for our plans to actively assist in the organized construction of trails in our area and, we hope, will give us one more answer to the “where to ride” question. There will be lots more on this as the next few weeks unfold. Fourthly, we have been invited to attend the Park-to-Park board meetings in an advisory capacity. Park-to-Park is an initiative that will create an east-west link through Parry Sound / Muskoka Districts and Haliburton County. The route will connect to several communities, provincial parks and amenities and provide trail users with a variety of accommodations, food, retail, attractions and other services. For more information visit them at www.parktoparktrail.com. We are delighted to be part of this organizations’ planning process and intend to offer our resources and assistance wherever it is most needed. COMMERCE The partnerships we have forged open doors for commercial benefit to our communities as well! All groups recognize that increased urbanization in Southern Ontario is creating a growing desire for “freedom experiences”. This coupled with “financial ability” and the proximity of our region to southern urban centres necessitates solid planning and organization to ensure this trend is harnessed to the benefit of all trail users and subsequent ‘down stream’ commercial interests. There are many positive signs that we are moving together to ensure these benefits are balanced with the protection of our natural resources. Recently PSATV and PSSD responded to the Town of Parry Sound’s request to speak to a motion supporting, in principle, the development of ATV trails in the Parry Sound area. We are happy to report that Council passed that motion including support for the Pilot Project above. In fact both groups were commended on their professionalism in reaching consensus on trail development and maintenance plans.
We look forward to the evolution of all of our joint
visions and will report on their progress in future TRAX articles. If you own an ATV and would like to be part of our group’s growth, please consider a membership in our club. Right now it’s a mere $50 per year … a bargain! And there’s a special event in August open only to Parry Sound ATV District Club members that you’d just love! Give us a call. Have
a great Canada Day holiday! If
you would like to have more information about the Parry Sound ATV
District Club visit us at www.psatv.ca
or
call us at 705 774-9778. We’d love to have your company
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