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Trail Patrol 2018


mcZEd382

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I missed Friday at AGM. I assume some discussion regarding Trail Patrol was had. What's the scoop? Still handing out trail guides, tea and biscuits or is the plan for it to have more bite? 

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No real discussion, so still WalMart Greeters.

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Absolutely disgraceful lack of support from the Provincial Government.

 

The OFSC obviously has no influence whatsoever with this government.

 

The Freeloading situation and decreased OPP trail presence will ultimately be the death knell for organized snowmobiling.

 

This needs to be dealt with ASAP.

 

Follow Quebec’s lead.

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9 minutes ago, ZR SLEDHEAD said:

Yes, with no consequences, freeloaders will continue to do what they do best...................screw the rest of us.

If you can't beat them join them for free ride :)

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I have been going down this road with the OFSC for some months now. In early August I was told they have a committee looking at a revamp and rejuvenation of the Trail Patrol Program. In the OFSC clubhouse web site there is documentation on Trail Patrol that was created for the 2015/2016 season. That is the most current. There is a document and a powerpoint to view. You can STILL issue a notice of trespass (also found on the website) as was done in the past. The only difference is you can't sell the permit trailside. I have had success for quite some time with issuing a notice of trespass and telling them that if they provide me proof of buying a permit within the next 7 days I tear it up and it is a non issue.

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14 hours ago, 02Sled said:

I have been going down this road with the OFSC for some months now. In early August I was told they have a committee looking at a revamp and rejuvenation of the Trail Patrol Program. In the OFSC clubhouse web site there is documentation on Trail Patrol that was created for the 2015/2016 season. That is the most current. There is a document and a powerpoint to view. You can STILL issue a notice of trespass (also found on the website) as was done in the past. The only difference is you can't sell the permit trailside. I have had success for quite some time with issuing a notice of trespass and telling them that if they provide me proof of buying a permit within the next 7 days I tear it up and it is a non issue.

If this is the case, the OFSC should be making a point of letting Trail Patrollers know this information. Trail Patrollers only seem to get correct info at refresher courses which aren't a yearly thing.

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2 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

If this is the case, the OFSC should be making a point of letting Trail Patrollers know this information. Trail Patrollers only seem to get correct info at refresher courses which aren't a yearly thing.

I agree. Our district trail patrol director had our district admin person send out an email a long time ago that he would no longer be training anyone since we were no longer able to sell permits trailside. He would be tracking the number of sleds he saw without permits and simply report that number to the OFSC. That left us high and dry as some of our certifications were expiring. Our former club trail patrol director was able to train people and when he retired from the role we were told that going forward training would be done at the district level. It seemed that the district trail patrol director was only holding one training session for that year and unfortunately we had missed it. I have been trying to get qualified as a trainer at the club level however I have been told that would be on hold until the committee completes it's review / revamp of the program. Your club executive and directors if they don't already have it can request access to the OFSC clubhouse website where they will find the documentation on trail patrol. Finding out what is happening hasn't been all that easy.

 

The login is

 

http://clubhouse.ofsc.on.ca/login?ReturnUrl=http://clubhouse.ofsc.on.ca/

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Saw this on another site many of you frequent I imagine.................someone has dropped the ball it seems (bottom two posts on the page 13 are from a OPP officer that posts on that site and his attempt to get clarification from OFSC)

 

http://www.freedomsledder.com/index.php?/topic/494-personal-opinions-of-an-opp-save-officer/&page=13

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21 minutes ago, Panther340 said:

Saw this on another site many of you frequent I imagine.................someone has dropped the ball it seems

 

http://www.freedomsledder.com/index.php?/topic/494-personal-opinions-of-an-opp-save-officer/&page=13

Everyone on here should read the attachment provided. Not only do I find remarks made by the unnamed OFSC spokesman hard to believe but I'm very surprised that the OFSC would endorse such statements. It is ridiculous that MNR will not sign land use permits for OFSC clubs.

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On 10/7/2017 at 4:15 PM, bbakernbay said:

Absolutely disgraceful lack of support from the Provincial Government.

 

The OFSC obviously has no influence whatsoever with this government.

 

The Freeloading situation and decreased OPP trail presence will ultimately be the death knell for organized snowmobiling.

 

This needs to be dealt with ASAP.

 

Follow Quebec’s lead.

I was reading Ned Nickerson's latest fluff piece comparing the permit costs between the 2 provinces.

 

59de50cb67aa0_PermitComparison.thumb.jpg.ebeee2a85c4ea4d5cfe9b70dfdb1a809.jpg

 

The quebec gov't embraces & supports the sport, while in Ontario the gov't of the day pays lip service to the OFSC & basically is of no help to the sport.

 

 

 

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22 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Everyone on here should read the attachment provided. Not only do I find remarks made by the unnamed OFSC spokesman hard to believe but I'm very surprised that the OFSC would endorse such statements. It is ridiculous that MNR will not sign land use permits for OFSC clubs.

The funniest part of that statement I found was the comment related to MNR not wanting to Regulate/Restrict access to crown land.  Our local MNR district has no issues with that when it comes to restricting access to (or even around for the first 2 weeks of moose season) areas where there are "Remote Access" (fly-in) tourist camps.  Now here is not the time or place to debate those restrictions but it clearly is an example of the MNR restricting (and enforcing with their COs) access to crown land when it suits them.  

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16 hours ago, matt17 said:

The funniest part of that statement I found was the comment related to MNR not wanting to Regulate/Restrict access to crown land.  Our local MNR district has now issues with that when it comes to restricting access to (or even around for the first 2 weeks of moose season) areas where there are "Remote Access" (fly-in) tourist camps.  Now here is not the time or place to debate those restrictions but it clearly is an example of the MNR restricting (and enforcing with their COs) access to crown land when it suits them.  

So they are willing to help tourism when it comes to fly-in camps but not when it comes to snowmobiling. Just ____ing wonderful!

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Been going on for years.  "Hey, I have a camp on such-and-such lake, a fly in lake that I guide on .... ".  Easy as that.  Hunting season comes around and suddenly there's signs up everywhere near a fly-in camp.  Not accessible to the general public.  

 

Maybe one of the only good things about the government cutbacks, less enforcement on the MNR front, at least we can sneak in once in a while ....  :D  

 

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yep I am on a few fishing websites (eg North western Ontario) , and you should hear how those American's that own lodges on Canadian lakes boast about their private lakes , that no locals are allowed to access (unless they walk) , its disgusting , the ATV trails and old logging roads are blocked and too bad for locals

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I have opinions and friends on both sides of the access argument (including one friend who went from one side to the other through the purchase of a camp on a remote lake).  But it definatly shows the MNR has no issues with restrictions when it suits them.  

 

Although I will continue to appreciate the (legal) access to several designated remote lakes in the area for almost guaranteed successful walleye trips during the late ice season.  

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5 hours ago, Panther340 said:

yep I am on a few fishing websites (eg North western Ontario) , and you should hear how those American's that own lodges on Canadian lakes boast about their private lakes , that no locals are allowed to access (unless they walk) , its disgusting , the ATV trails and old logging roads are blocked and too bad for locals

When I wear my tinfoil hat I foresee Northern Ontario mostly abandoned by citizens (no banks, no fuel stations, no jobs, no high speed internet) and all of that juicy land is ripe for foreign "investment"..ie mine, cut, chop, dig, and export to their hearts content. H20 included.  

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I was at a neighbor club meeting the other night and discussion was around an effort by OFSC and OPP to have clubs form better connections with their "local" detachments. This was supposedly discussed at AGM.

I don't know the numbers but I don't think many of last years fatalities occurred on OFSC trails so I don't see the benefit of having increased OPP patrols. As for permit compliance I think nearly all of us can agree that OPP permit compliance enforcement is at the bottom of the priorities list.

Hard to say if last year was directly related to no STOP patrols, or our screwball climate that totally pooched the lake ice province wide.

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15 hours ago, Panther340 said:

yep I am on a few fishing websites (eg North western Ontario) , and you should hear how those American's that own lodges on Canadian lakes boast about their private lakes , that no locals are allowed to access (unless they walk) , its disgusting , the ATV trails and old logging roads are blocked and too bad for locals

If Prime Minister Zoolander was on the ball, he'd get this kind of thing, along with foreign visitors hunting and fishing licenses, part of the currently being re-negotiated  NAFTA agreement - there would be a lot less bull sh*t from Trump threatening to tear it up once his 'friends' got word.

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12 hours ago, mcZEd382 said:

I was at a neighbor club meeting the other night and discussion was around an effort by OFSC and OPP to have clubs form better connections with their "local" detachments. This was supposedly discussed at AGM.

I don't know the numbers but I don't think many of last years fatalities occurred on OFSC trails so I don't see the benefit of having increased OPP patrols. As for permit compliance I think nearly all of us can agree that OPP permit compliance enforcement is at the bottom of the priorities list.

Hard to say if last year was directly related to no STOP patrols, or our screwball climate that totally pooched the lake ice province wide.

A member from a club did suggest that a local connection would be beneficial which it is but when said person transfers out and you get some unwilling nitwit in that refuses to divulge out ANY info then thats a problem! I did mention it to OPP Blair at AGM that it actually is beneficial to both parties that it should be policy when an accident occurs on OUR trails that the OPP should notify right away that an accident occurred on said trail at said time etc instead of saying we cant say anything for privacy reasons and he actually said he would consider that. :o Cause a lot of the time the ORS responders dont get any info about an accident or might hear it from word of mouth or sometimes dont know about it till the accident party files a lawsuit with your club. 

 

As for OPP and STOP, 2 seasons ago we had our STOP officers and a bad winter with less fatalities than this season. This season we no longer have our STOP officers and another bad winter and fatalities were up. Is it related to us having no STOP hard to say but i would put a big yes on it. You got Mrs Reid at the OFSC and her committee wanting to run down our current trail patrol to walmart greeters! they are wanting to get rid of the enforcement aspect of it all together, such BS especially now when we have next to no enforcement on our trails.  

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