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for sure sledding has always had its ups and downs - no question. We are down to 3 manufacturers, which easily could have been 2 and likely should be 1 or 2.   It is a wake up call, mainly for Ontario, that the system we have is not sustainable.   Yes, volunteers are the backbone and the principal driver of the sport, without them, we would have been shut down before we ever started. But according to the OFSC, we have a revenue issue - and volunteers do not drive revenue. They may save it, but they don't drive it. Permits and grants/donations are the only thing we have to generate revenue.   So, maybe the OFSC can do a better job of showing the permit buyers some real hard numbers. Just tell the truth.    If you really want to make the point - then  be 100% transparent and show the numbers, because if volunteers are what is needed, more than revenue, than you need to drive home the point that volunteering saves expenses.   Groomer Operator - no savings other than reducing grooming - as we've been told/shown - operators have to be paid and on the books as such - so that's that.   After that, how many projects and how much project money was spent on non-volunteer hired work -material/labor/equipment? Was it/is it possible that could have been saved had volunteers been available? If the answer is YES, then show it.   Example ( very basic - just for purposes of this discussion )   Culvert project - trail X Material: $3,000.00 Equipment rental: $4,500.00 Operator Costs: $1,500.00 Total: $9,000.00   Vs: Culvert project - trail X Material: $3,000.00  Equipment Rental: Nil - volunteer X donated from his fleet for the project Operator Costs: Nil - volunteer Y - ran the machine Total: $3,000.00     In the end, the blanket basis for trail reduction is due to increasing costs - less revenue. Revenue is from 3 sources ( that we know of ) - costs can only be reduced at various levels. Volunteers are ALWAYS needed, but the crisis as its been communicated is $$$ - which is a permit pricing vs. cost of the system, and if the call for volunteers is going to be the fix, then communicate that costs of all of the work are rising because outsourcing is too much due to lack of volunteers.              

Is this one on the new Hamburg side of the airport?

There was two trails. One from Stratford to Mitchel that goes by airport and club house to Mitchel. Second one branches off before air port and goes thru the swamp to milverton. That one's getting closed for sure. Too bad it made a nice loop. 

It's too bad about the south loop. That is an awesome trail with a nice mix of bush and field running. Will the swampers closing the trail from Stratford affect going from the airport to Mitchell? I can't remember where the intersection of choosing the swamp route of heading to Mitchell is. Gettin OLD! I figured one of those east/west trails would be cut. Less trails to groom but guessing a lot more required grooming frequency on the remaining trails.

Absolutely NOT making any accusations, simply stating if things are well run at the OFSC then they have a mandate to go after government funding without reservation.