slomo Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 "A snowmobile journalist and blogger says the current snowmobile speed system in Ontario doesn't make any sense. As a result, Craig Nicholson, who is behind the blog The Intrepid Snowmobiler, says the tourism industry is being negatively impacted in the province." Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/snowmobile-speed-ontario-overhaul-1.4983544 B.S. I say. It is not the speed limits affecting the snowmobiling tourism - it is a complete lack of a marketing plan such as evident in Quebec -from government, to sled federation, and to intensely related accomodation and support businesses. Any increase in the speed limit is going to have a negative effect on landowners who are already overwhelmed with idiots. Mr Nicholson's stand sure supports his buddies and their magazine advertising of uselessly powered machines and related after market parts - he is on the masthead of the magazine after all. BTW - your trail pass fees paid for part of this blogger's nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 @30cal4me called me the other day about the lamest article he had ever seen (the 1 in Supertrax about Algoma). I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Mind you the Bancrotch writeup seemef 180* in the Go Snowmobiling insert. Go figure. In Quebec sledders are looked at as tourists. In Ontario various gov'ts have looked @ us as a bunch of hooligans that can't kill ourselves off fast enough for their liking. Why cant the northern part of the province come up w/ some slick TV ads like we see from PQ? Heck that Kap' Sno-rovers drone video would be a start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Doo Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 The beauty of it is, if he is even on the take from OFSC, is he spends ALOT of time in Quebec. Would you not think he should be riding in Ontario if hes being paid by us!.... (Thanks OFSC permit holders)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 7 minutes ago, IQ TURBO said: The beauty of it is, if he is even on the take from OFSC, is he spends ALOT of time in Quebec. Would you not think he should be riding in Ontario if hes being paid by us!.... (Thanks OFSC permit holders)... ARRRRGH! That has been mentioned in the past as well... He is getting up in years, so hopefully when his tenure is up he isn't replaced. Would you guys have a problem w/ a sledding blogger shilling if they were unaffiliated w/ the OFSC? Really what is stopping any of us doing the same? Some of you rack up some pretty incredible mileages each season in various regions across the snowbelt. Plus we enjoy you photos & reports. The only difference I can see is that we have to pay for the trips & accessories out of our own pockets. Plus he has an 'in', while we're on the outside looking in. I've never sensed here that someone was glossing over some aspect of a trip. If something sucked, you'll tell us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Doo Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 17 minutes ago, revrnd said: ARRRRGH! That has been mentioned in the past as well... He is getting up in years, so hopefully when his tenure is up he isn't replaced. Would you guys have a problem w/ a sledding blogger shilling if they were unaffiliated w/ the OFSC? Really what is stopping any of us doing the same? Some of you rack up some pretty incredible mileages each season in various regions across the snowbelt. Plus we enjoy you photos & reports. The only difference I can see is that we have to pay for the trips & accessories out of our own pockets. Plus he has an 'in', while we're on the outside looking in. I've never sensed here that someone was glossing over some aspect of a trip. If something sucked, you'll tell us. EXACTLY.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskoka Man Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 i want his job ,whats the pay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Power and money. Bureaucrats and police respectively. Think about it. If someone handed you a gun, a badge, 130k per year to start with FULL pension and benefits unmatched ANYWHERE along with free gas,sleds,helicopters,boats and whatever other new awesome vehicles ATV's etc to run around chasing outdoors people in Ontario and all you have to do is call them bad guys, write a few tickets here and there and tell the rest of the province its for safety? Then have NO ONE seemingly with enough sack to fight in court or call their representatives and raise some hell? Then even worse to have FULL press cooperation in the slander propaganda against these us fun focused people? Who wouldnt want that job? Who would ever want to give it up once they have it? It aint just sledding thats hurting in Ontario, wake em upskees people. We have been THRASHED to the nub by idiotic bureaucratic over reach and debt policy along with excessively high energy costs that will be crippling us for at least 50 years. Waytogo Liberal/NDP you guys are true winners. Winners of destruction And this guy wonders why tourists wont visit? Hilarious, truly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoso Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 55 minutes ago, revrnd said: ARRRRGH! That has been mentioned in the past as well... He is getting up in years, so hopefully when his tenure is up he isn't replaced. Would you guys have a problem w/ a sledding blogger shilling if they were unaffiliated w/ the OFSC? Really what is stopping any of us doing the same? Some of you rack up some pretty incredible mileages each season in various regions across the snowbelt. Plus we enjoy you photos & reports. The only difference I can see is that we have to pay for the trips & accessories out of our own pockets. Plus he has an 'in', while we're on the outside looking in. I've never sensed here that someone was glossing over some aspect of a trip. If something sucked, you'll tell us. Honest reports on products and services is what you get here. A sales pitch is what ned provides. He is full of crap, would tell you a crap hole is a great place as long as his stay was free. Same for the three clowns that promote cans and bad riding habits in their mag and show. These people are leaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoso Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 17 minutes ago, crispy said: Power and money. Bureaucrats and police respectively. Think about it. If someone handed you a gun, a badge, 130k per year to start with FULL pension and benefits unmatched ANYWHERE along with free gas,sleds,helicopters,boats and whatever other new awesome vehicles ATV's etc to run around chasing outdoors people in Ontario and all you have to do is call them bad guys, write a few tickets here and there and tell the rest of the province its for safety? Then have NO ONE seemingly with enough sack to fight in court or call their representatives and raise some hell? Then even worse to have FULL press cooperation in the slander propaganda against these us fun focused people? Who wouldnt want that job? Who would ever want to give it up once they have it? It aint just sledding thats hurting in Ontario, wake em upskees people. We have been THRASHED to the nub by idiotic bureaucratic over reach and debt policy along with excessively high energy costs that will be crippling us for at least 50 years. Waytogo Liberal/NDP you guys are true winners. Winners of destruction And this guy wonders why tourists wont visit? Hilarious, truly Police on trails is needed, that we cannot deny. BUT, we need proper enforcement. Proper enforcement is NOT cherry picking railbeds are flying in helicopters. Proper enforcement is hard work. It means standing in the bush off to the side with no sled present on blind corners and hills observing those that blow the corner, or crest a hill left of center. This is the real danger, and the one we all fear happening when we approach these areas. riding 100kmh on a 30 foot wide trail that is straight and flat is not a danger to anyone. As a matter of fact that is not even fast on today's machines. If cops really gave a damn about our safety this is what we would be seeing out there. I am just happy I can ride weekdays when the cops are not bothering to be out at all, and this is likely why I have not had a fine on my sled in the last 100,000 kms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMSOMAIR Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 He's a TARD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 36 minutes ago, zoso said: Honest reports on products and services is what you get here. A sales pitch is what ned provides. He is full of crap, would tell you a crap hole is a great place as long as his stay was free. Same for the three clowns that promote cans and bad riding habits in their mag and show. These people are leaches. I can count on 1 hand how many times I watched SnowTrax after they bought it... When Big John was involved, I watched it all the time. 28 minutes ago, zoso said: Police on trails is needed, that we cannot deny. BUT, we need proper enforcement. Proper enforcement is NOT cherry picking railbeds are flying in helicopters. Proper enforcement is hard work. It means standing in the bush off to the side with no sled present on blind corners and hills observing those that blow the corner, or crest a hill left of center. This is the real danger, and the one we all fear happening when we approach these areas. riding 100kmh on a 30 foot wide trail that is straight and flat is not a danger to anyone. As a matter of fact that is not even fast on today's machines. If cops really gave a damn about our safety this is what we would be seeing out there. I am just happy I can ride weekdays when the cops are not bothering to be out at all, and this is likely why I have not had a fine on my sled in the last 100,000 kms. A couple of stories about the Hastings Heritage trail. Several years ago I'm eating lunch @ Porterville Diner when 'Ed & Edna' pull up in their ratty old half ton & shuffle in. The girl behind the counter says something & the old lady goes into a rant about the snowmobiles on the railbed passing them south of LSP (I can just imagine how fast the truck was going LOL). I made a comment & she goes off on me about the speed limit. I told her my parents are in their 70s & don't do 50 on the railbed. "The speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour and blah blah blah", she replies. I just shook my head. Then last week on my Faceplant page a guy that is younger than me (non-sledder) comments on a thread of mine about the speed of the sleds on the railbed. I felt like saying something, but didn't think it would change his opinion. A speed limit is a speed limit was his opinion. I felt like making the comment about if he tried to ride from the Coe Hill area to LSP doing 50 k' he'd hate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMSOMAIR Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 If you packed all the crap he suggests to be safe out on your sled, you would need a semi truck full of crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 1 minute ago, RAMSOMAIR said: If you packed all the crap he suggests to be safe out on your sled, you would need a semi truck full of crap. Sad but true... He makes riding from New Liskeard to Hearst sound like 4 wheeling thru the Darien Gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 55 minutes ago, RAMSOMAIR said: If you packed all the crap he suggests to be safe out on your sled, you would need a semi truck full of crap. One time with lots of time to kill I started to accumulate in a large plastic storage bin some of the things he said you need to be safe. I filled the bin and had only made a dent on his list. I laughed realizing I couldn't possibly have enough storage on a sled to hold half of his list. Sledjunk who has probably everything you really need and more wouldn't be able to haul around Neds list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 So Ned is not who most of us would select as Ontario's Snowmobiling Ambassador, but I hope most of us agree with his statement that "the current snowmobile speed system in Ontario doesn't make any sense". It may be a stretch to say that it hurts Ontario snowmobile tourism, but it sure doesn't help it. I constantly compare and contrast sledding and motorcycling, as they are simultaneously both similar and quite different. I tour extensively by motorcycle in the US, but not in jurisdictions where speed limits are unreasonably low or unreasonably enforced. Having a provincial speed limit of 50 kph is insane. Now the cops are the only ones who know what the real speed limit is. They can arbitrarily set the threshold wherever they like, so that we don't know on a given trail whether 60, 70 or 90 is acceptable. Ned is at least partly right on this file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pt3189 Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I see him a few times a year in Havelock running errands. I always go the opposite direction. I am not a fan of Ned or the Lester’s and the way they seem to have become the voice of Canadian Sledders. They had a hobby which they were able profit from. I can’t really think of one particular positive they have done for the sport, there probably are some . I hate picking up a rag supported by the ofsc that has Ned telling me to try Snowmobiling in Wisconsin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledjunk Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 52 minutes ago, 02Sled said: One time with lots of time to kill I started to accumulate in a large plastic storage bin some of the things he said you need to be safe. I filled the bin and had only made a dent on his list. I laughed realizing I couldn't possibly have enough storage on a sled to hold half of his list. Sledjunk who has probably everything you really need and more wouldn't be able to haul around Neds list. But he has a chase truck to carry the stuff on his list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolbane Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I don’t understand why these forums have such a hate on for this guy. Would you prefer if there was no blogger and no references to sledding in the mainstream media? If a better one come along then he will be out of business. I guess people just like to bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poo Man Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 2 minutes ago, coolbane said: I don’t understand why these forums have such a hate on for this guy. Would you prefer if there was no blogger and no references to sledding in the mainstream media? If a better one come along then he will be out of business. I guess people just like to bitch. Found him! Honestly this day and age his style is dated. I wouldn't have a problem with him if he didn't get money from the ofsc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMSOMAIR Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 5 minutes ago, coolbane said: I don’t understand why these forums have such a hate on for this guy. Would you prefer if there was no blogger and no references to sledding in the mainstream media? If a better one come along then he will be out of business. I guess people just like to bitch. No hatred, just think he is not with the times and yeah, paid by the OFSC wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaks Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 I haven't been around the sport as long as most on here, so I don't know all the history, nor have I run as many k's as a lot on here.. but I will say even for those who aren't a fan of Ned, I will still take any article and opinion piece that is looking at trying to get some visibility into some of the challenges that face our sport in Ontario, such as the ridiculous 'universal' speed limit of 50 and similarly arbitrary rules changed. Safety isn't a speed. It's a learned skill and approach like many other things in life. Time and place, education and understanding, and a constant awareness of your surroundings and potential risks both to you and others. So yeah, siting handing out tickets on wide open areas, where the trail is 40' across with no one on it is ridiculous, and just a money making/cost recoupment scheme, not a 'sefty enforcement' Dinging people trespassing on off trail riding on landowners properties that closes trail, or people blowing past skiers and dog walks and landowners, and putting others at risk, that' is totally justified and should be encouraged to ticket away. running tight and twisty trails, cresting hills and blind corners on the middle/left in an uncontrolled fashion, people running well beyond their skill, being piss drunk/otherwise impaired as those riding from bar to bar, are the things that should be gone after. unfortunately it's just hard to see healthy debate actually occur and return to common sense approach to a lot of these things these days, but I certainly hope these things can be looked at objectively and proper adjustments made over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoso Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 20 minutes ago, Sneaks said: I haven't been around the sport as long as most on here, so I don't know all the history, nor have I run as many k's as a lot on here.. but I will say even for those who aren't a fan of Ned, I will still take any article and opinion piece that is looking at trying to get some visibility into some of the challenges that face our sport in Ontario, such as the ridiculous 'universal' speed limit of 50 and similarly arbitrary rules changed. Safety isn't a speed. It's a learned skill and approach like many other things in life. Time and place, education and understanding, and a constant awareness of your surroundings and potential risks both to you and others. So yeah, siting handing out tickets on wide open areas, where the trail is 40' across with no one on it is ridiculous, and just a money making/cost recoupment scheme, not a 'sefty enforcement' Dinging people trespassing on off trail riding on landowners properties that closes trail, or people blowing past skiers and dog walks and landowners, and putting others at risk, that' is totally justified and should be encouraged to ticket away. running tight and twisty trails, cresting hills and blind corners on the middle/left in an uncontrolled fashion, people running well beyond their skill, being piss drunk/otherwise impaired as those riding from bar to bar, are the things that should be gone after. unfortunately it's just hard to see healthy debate actually occur and return to common sense approach to a lot of these things these days, but I certainly hope these things can be looked at objectively and proper adjustments made over time. I think we all agree on what you are saying. Endangering ones self is one thing, but when you are endangering others enforcement must be in play. With that being said, I have never ever witnessed police enforcing blind hills or corners. Why, because they simply do not bother due to the nature of the work being so much more difficult than standing around with buddies at the end of the railbed or parked in a warm car.. They certainly could if the will was there. All of us should contact them and demand we see this type of enforcement out there. I also do not mind checking for drunks, however would prefer if it was done like a ride program, look for reg sticker, trail pass, ask if there has been anything to drink, have a wiff of our breath and see ya, or blow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 4 minutes ago, zoso said: Why, because they simply do not bother due to the nature of the work being so much more difficult than standing around with buddies at the end of the railbed or parked in a warm car.. BINGO! I dont have a problem seeing the cops riding on the trails as I imagine eventually they will cross paths w/ oncoming idgits. I dont think Ive had any issues w/ them. The cops @ road crossings seem to be more grumpy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomo Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 8 hours ago, coolbane said: I don’t understand why these forums have such a hate on for this guy. Would you prefer if there was no blogger and no references to sledding in the mainstream media? If a better one come along then he will be out of business. I guess people just like to bitch. Some people like to take the longer view....the sport has enough challenges with the effects of climate change, a recent wave of self- entitlement, and a dependency on its survival on the good will of many people who are not actively involved, but who 'donate' land as trails. Being the 'point person' he takes the abuse, but if you check the magazine masthead, there is him, his wife, another OFSC employee listed, however many Lesters, their relatives and friends and a few unmentioned followers who seem more interested in lining their pockets with magazine advertising than promoting Ontario snowmobiling as a product. Maybe the next time the OFSC marketing contract comes up, professional marketers will prevail. Additionally, Mr. Nicholson fails to mention how increasing speed limits on trails will affect the provision and price of liability insurance, without which there won't be willing land owners granting permission for trails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Voyant Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 This is an interesting thread. I tend to agree with many points made. I was at the OFSC AGM where a Lester spoke at length about "freeriders" which totally baffled me. Was I mistaken in my belief that we were a Federation of clubs committed to grooming trails? And now here we are, a few years later with many many trespassing complaints. And we also have individuals promoting riding in their area while ALL trails for miles are indicating "Unavailable" on the ITG. The OFSC needs to make up its mind as to whether it's a provincial organization of clubs committed to providing safe, consistent trails (weather permitting, of course!), or whether it's just about snowmobiling, anyway, anywhere, any place. I think we're losing our focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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