OFSC Announces Landowner Appreciation Week March 21-27

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Celebrating 18,000 Landowners Who Support Snowmobile Trails Across Ontario

(Barrie, ON: March 21, 2022) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is celebrating a “neighbours helping neighbours” partnership tradition that began more than 50 years ago. From March 21-27, OFSC Landowner Appreciation Week 2022 recognizes our community-minded landowners across Ontario. These generous landowners come from all walks of life, including thousands of farmers, and home or cottage owners, as well as private companies, municipalities, conservation authorities and others. Each voluntarily contributes to recreational snowmobiling and the well-being of their hometowns by donating the use of a portion of their private property for an OFSC Prescribed Trail during the winter months. OFSC trails on their land provide snowmobilers with safe and legal places to ride, while connecting hundreds of rural communities on the snow.

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OFSC Issues Urgent Appeal To Save Our Trails

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Snowmobile Trails, A Unique Winter Asset Benefitting All Ontarians

(Barrie, ON – January 24, 2022): For more than 50 years, community-minded landowners have partnered with volunteers in local snowmobile clubs to provide their area with recreational snowmobile trails. This rural tradition has created many economic, recreational, social, and health benefits to enhance the winter well-being of hometowns and their residents across the province.

With over 50% of trails now available for recreational riding, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is celebrating these unique and enduring relationships, and the incredible trail network of 30,000 kilometres of OFSC Prescribed Trails we’ve built together, about 60% of which are located on private property. Today, the OFSC is issuing a special call to action: Let’s work together to Save Our Trails.

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New Campaign Invites Ontario Snowmobilers To Take The Pledge This Winter

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(Barrie, ON – November 8, 2021) – With winter fast approaching, thousands of Ontario sledders are answering an appeal from the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) to join a groundswell movement to protect recreational OFSC snowmobile trails on private property, land access and landowners. This action will also help ensure that OFSC trails generate an economic impact of up to $3.3 Billion to assist Ontario’s economic recovery this season.

The OFSC request to snowmobilers supports the Take The Pledge social media campaign launched by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) throughout North America late last week. In an accompanying video, renown ambassadors and influencers from all snowmobile brands speak directly to their peers about only riding where it’s legal to do so.

 

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OFSC Delivers Strong Snowmobiling Season Despite Challenges

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Season Peak of 26,000 Kms of Available OFSC Trails Reached on February 25, 2021

(Barrie, ON: March 31, 2021) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) extends sincerest appreciation to our 6,000 volunteers, whose trail-building expertise and operational dedication are the grassroots backbone of our local snowmobile clubs across Ontario. Despite facing unprecedented and continually evolving challenges, their volunteer efforts, cooperation and determination during the past season helped achieved the commitment we made to snowmobilers in our Trails To Ride 2021 plan – to deliver the best possible trail riding experiences.

“I want to commend everyone on Team OFSC for our collective achievements this winter,” commented CEO Landon French, “from volunteers to landowners to stakeholders, and to staff who helped steer us through uncharted territory this year.”

In addition, the OFSC wants to thank each and every permit buyer for your patience and understanding through the season. We really appreciate your support of OFSC trails and your willingness to adapt to local riding this winter and for taking the necessary precautions. Certainly, if the positive, post-season feedback from snowmobilers on social media is any indicator, many of you agree that this season was a success story given the circumstances. And what a story it was…

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OFSC Announces Landowner Appreciation Week with New Recognition Initiatives

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March 22 – 28 Proclaimed OFSC Landowner Appreciation Week 2021

(Barrie, ON: March 18, 2021) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) has declared the week of March 22 – 28 as OFSC Landowner Appreciation Week 2021. Across the province, landowners are the unsung contributors to organized snowmobiling who donate the use of a portion of their private property for snowmobile trails each winter. Their land not only provides OFSC snowmobilers with safe and legal places to ride, but also connects thousands of sections of disparate trails into an integrated, seamless trail network. In addition, private land provides connections to hundreds of rural winter communities for their recreational, social and economic well-being in our traditionally most dormant season.

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OFSC Asks Snowmobilers To Play Key Role In Anti-Trespass Initiatives

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Help Support Our Landowners and Protect OFSC Trails On Private Property

(Barrie, ON: March 4, 2021) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is asking all snowmobilers to join us in keeping OFSC trails available to ride every winter. Thanks to 18,000 generous landowners, about 60% of OFSC trails cross private property, providing access to communities and services, as well as connections neighbouring regions, and safer riding for everyone. So each snowmobiler who loves trail riding shares a common goal of protecting our trails on private property, respecting our landowner partners, and maintaining the inter-connected trail system that provides so many positive benefits for rural economies.

All of us have a part to play in preserving snowmobile trails and standing up for our landowners. Together, our goal is to make wandering off the marked trail and trespassing on private property as socially unacceptable within the snowmobile community as drinking and driving, driving without a seatbelt, or smoking in the workplace are throughout our province.

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