Together We Can Do This: OFSC Requests Cooperation From Snowmobilers

Do Your Part By Staying Off Red Trails, Following Ride Smart 2021 Recommendations
& Being A Safe Rider

(Barrie, ON: December 3, 2020) – Hold your horses. Curb your enthusiasm. Cool your jets. Don’t jump the gun. However you want to say it to snowmobilers excited about the first significant snowfall, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) cautions that riding any OFSC trails at this time is premature, illegal and unsafe until a trail(s) show as Yellow (Limited Availability) or Green (Available) on the Interactive Trail Guide (ITG). Furthermore, premature use of any OFSC trail actually makes it considerably more difficult for a club to get that trail base set and ready for the upcoming season, so everyone has to wait longer. Worse, it is also trespassing that frequently results in a permanent trail closure.

As snowmobilers know, the OFSC, our districts, clubs and volunteers are working hard to deliver the best possible trail riding experiences this winter, but we need your cooperation and patience throughout the season to succeed. With many factors indicating increased participation in trail riding this winter, your assistance not only means staying off Red (Unavailable) trails at any time, but also includes following our Ride Smart 2021 pandemic response plan for healthy snowmobiling to prevent virus spread that could threaten everyone’s riding season.

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OFSC Updates Snowmobilers On Flex Trails & New Ontario Re-Opening Framework

Flex Trails Provide Permit Buyers With Options For Trail Riding This Winter

What’s Included:
Trails To Ride 2021 Plan Components
• Pandemic & OFSC Trails
• Flex Trails & How They Work Under Re-Opening Framework
• Do Your Part, Ride Smart

(Barrie, ON:  November 26, 2020) – In prior releases, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) announced and updated its comprehensive Trails To Ride 2021 plan. It focuses on working through these challenging times to deliver the best trail riding experiences on as many trails as possible this winter with the cooperation of all snowmobilers.

This release updates our previous one on October 22nd. It reflects the new Ontario re-opening framework that took effect on November 7th. Since then, several public health regions have moved into a higher restriction level, but to date only Toronto & Peel are in the Grey-Lockdown level. Click here for details on the current status of public health regions across the province.

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OFSC Provides Fall Communications Recap For Snowmobilers

All the OFSC News You Need To Know (To Date) To Be Ride Ready This Winter!

(Barrie, ON – November 12, 2020): Since August, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) has shared a ton of information through our website, Facebook page and newsletters. Our communications focused on evolving developments affecting trail riding for this winter, in addition to news about the early permit sales program.

Now, with growing anticipation among new and returning snowmobilers to hit the snow, a brief recap and progress reminder about trail developments may be helpful to put everything that’s happening in context as we get closer to winter. We hope this update will also answer any questions those who may have missed our regular communications still might have.

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OFSC Launches Ride Smart 2021 For Safe & Healthy Snowmobiling

Together We Can Help Keep Trails & Services Open This Winter

What’s Included:
• Doing Our Part
• 4 Steps For Stopping
• Riding Prepared
• Preventing The Spread

(Barrie, ON: November 5, 2020) – The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is committed to delivering the best possible trail riding experiences for snowmobilers this winter. In accordance with the latest information from Public Health Ontario, the OFSC’s pandemic response plan is enabling our districts, clubs & volunteers to do everything possible to make the provincial trail system available to ride, while respecting and protecting the snowbelt communities, hospitality providers and residents that serve OFSC trails.

Doing Our Part To Keep Trails & Services Open – To make this work, we snowmobilers must also do part to prevent transmission of the virus on every ride. While we all know that the riding itself is relatively safe, the risk increases considerably whenever we stop along the way. So, everyone needs to practice socially responsible behaviours when interacting with each other or visiting trail accessible services and communities. Not doing so could result in closed services, limited access to communities and possibly even trail restrictions during the season.

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OFSC Updates Snowmobilers On Flex Trails & Recent Pandemic Developments

Flex Trails Provide Permit Buyers With Many Opportunities To Hit The Snow This Winter

What’s Included:
Trails To Ride 2021 Plan Components
• Pandemic & OFSC Trails
• Flex Trails & How They Work
• Looking Ahead to Winter

(Barrie, ON: October 22, 2020) – In prior releases, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) announced and updated its comprehensive Trails To Ride 2021 plan, focused on working through these challenging times to deliver the best possible trail riding experiences on as many trails as possible this winter with the cooperation of all snowmobilers.

Components of OFSC Plan: As previously reported, Trails To Ride 2021 includes several flexible, complimentary and integrated strategies for province-wide trail preparations, groomer fleet operations, and permit sales, plus pandemic response for the health and safety of volunteers, snowmobilers, landowners and snowbelt communities and enhanced communications with all stakeholders. The OFSC pandemic response includes Flex Trails (see below) to provide permit holders with as many alternative trail riding opportunities as possible if needed during these uncertain times.

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