Jump to content

Bigfish

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,583

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    38

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Bigfish

    Trail closures in D3

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    The latest update from the clubs FB page

     

    OFSC TRAILS CLOSED IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY FOREST
     
    After trying to negotiate on a land use agreement to maintain the trails in the Northumberland County Forest we received this letter on Friday Jan 29 telling us that Grooming and other activities performed by GPRSA volunteers is not permitted on County property.
    A little background on this issue. Just over a year ago our club was approached to sign an agreement in order for us to continue to groom and maintain the trails in the Northumberland County Forest (NCF). We have been negotiating unsuccessfully back and forth during this time. We have presented two different agreements which are the same as, or very similar to agreements that have been signed by neighboring municipalities and associations including the County of Peterborough and EOTA.
    The agreement the Northumberland County has presented to our club has been referred to as an agreement that would be presented to a multinational corporation and not a volunteer driven non-profit club. While most of the conditions in the agreement can probably be worked out, there are two major sections that unless removed our legal council and insurance provider won’t allow us to sign this agreement. Basically the Northumberland County is asking our insurance provider to cover everyone and any vehicle that uses the NCF.
    If you are interested in the legal part of the agreement it can be downloaded from the County’s website and starts on page 77 of the following link:
    On Wednesday Jan 27th a Council meeting was held and this issue was presented to Northumberland County Council leaving the decision up to them on the future of snowmobiling in the NCF. Unfortunately they held this part of the meeting behind closed doors so we had no opportunity to be part of the discussion and have no idea which way each of the councilors voted.
    The Northumberland County Council, who made this decision, are comprised of the seven elected Mayors from the Municipalities located in the Northumberland County. They are Municipality of Brighton, Township of Cramahe, Municipality of Trent Hills, Township of Alnwick/Haldimand, Hamilton township, Town of Cobourg, and Municipality of Port Hope.
    If you live in Northumberland County please help us to try and get these trails back by contacting your Elected Mayor and if you don’t live in Northumberland County but visit the Northumberland County Forest please contact the County Warden. They can be contacted by using the following link.
    Thanks for taking the time to read this
     
    GPRSA
     
    • Sad 1

    North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit ordering area OFSC trails closed

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    1 hour ago, stoney said:

    Seems like a lot of positive cases in your circle, what is the common thread that is causing that or there is not one that is obvious?

    How are the nine dealing with it, okay I hope?

    Wishing them all a speedy recovery to good health.

    My daughter's ex went Xmas shopping at Vaughan Mills just before Xmas.

    Then the kids spent Xmas day with him.

    Apparently spread from there.

    • Sad 4

    North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit ordering area OFSC trails closed

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    3 hours ago, slomo said:

    We were in pre-covid times, we are currently in war time covid times and will eventually get to post covid times...I think most folks are basing their current opinions on the past pre-covid times experience.

     

    BTW most legitimate news outlets reporting that Ontario case count is lowering. Lock down is having some effect.

    Not seeing it personally!

    COVID count so far, 3 friends dead, 7 family members infected including my daughter (46) and 2  grandkids (13 & 15)

    • Sad 5

    Snowmobile Trail Closures and Problems

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    Interestingly, I received a call from the OPP yesterday , they wanted to know if our club was planning any poker runs or other gatherings this season!
    They wanted to know so they would have enough resources (boots on the ground) to enforce social distancing and other lockdown measures!
     
    I advised them that we have no events planned for this season.
    • Sad 1

    Trail closures in D3

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted · Edited by Bigfish

    Here is a map showing the now closed trails in the Northumberland forest, as the county refuses to sign off on a land use agreement.

     

    E108 remains available for users through the use of road allowances.

     

    However unless we get some snow, it will be a moot point

    NCF closed trails.PNG

     

    RED - Closed

    Blue - E108

    Yellow - road allowances

    • Sad 1

    And it begins...

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, Muskoka1 said:

    I put a brand new [120 k.] '09 'doo 800 thru in 75' feet of H2O 75' from shore in -I got out [obviously] insurance paid me completely within a week. They hired divers and had it out in 2 weeks!

    Did they cover the MNR fines as well??

    And it begins...

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    2 hours ago, slomo said:

    Related....another agricultural hazard to avoid...from Saskatchewan sledding site....see a lot of these in Ontario as well....

    1609610975_sileagebags.jpg.e698830efeb635f258f74594887bb560.jpg

     

    Be careful out there!

     

    Good post....we had a person severely injured last year after hitting one of those last year!

    • Like 1

    Trail closures in D3

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted · Edited by Bigfish

    We have been made aware of this a short time ago.

    As it stands right now, the county will not sign a land use agreement with our club, unless we agree to insure ALL users in the Northumberland Forest including the county itself!

    Therefore E108 may not connect Bewdley with Warkworth. We are currently investigating whether the road allowances in the forest fall under the forest mngmt.

    If we can use road allowances we will groom E108 only and no side trails.

    This effects not only our club and the OFSC, but also the ATV club as well, the pres of the ATV club posted the following on FB today

     

    This is some information about the Northumberland county forest trails and what is going on and if your a user of these trails it should be an eye opener for future use. The County and their wisdom have been putting a new forest master plan together and in that plan they want to close trails and the hydro lines where they are in control of. ( This is all users ) I am sure the county has done some information strategy but getting to tax paying residents should not be done half assed and using our tax dollars to take our privilege away is something I can’t agree with and you shouldn’t also.
    I sit on the forest advisory committee and yes I have missed a few of the last zoom meetings but I haven’t been detached. So I read the new forest master plan only a few weeks ago. When the county first started the forest advisory committee say 2010 ? There where about 20 user personal on it and now there is 2 and a few conservation land spokes persons and county staff. At this point I don’t know what they are doing next. When that group started up, We lost a substantial amount of trail then and now they have closed the lookout tower and any land their in control of along the hydro line. Their still hasn’t been an agreement with the snowmobile club to groom the county forest this year, because the county doesn’t like some wording of the OFSC liability insurance. So we may not have groomed snowmobile trails this year. ( Great ) to date this agreement is not signed. Our county is the first hub east of Toronto and we have links that can take us to Ottawa to the east and Algonquin park to the north. As a club president we have worked hard to put a trail system together and bring ATVs under control in Northumberland county. And try to become what the OFSC has become over the years they have been looking after the snowmobile group. We have worked with municipalities in our county to enact road use bylaws so ATVers can safely leave their homes and get to the trails. We have policed our own and picked up approximately 45 tones of garbage throughout our county and donated approximately $20,000.00 to charities in our communities . We have multiple land use agreements and with land owner’s through out the county to link our 350km of trail that reaches Hastings, Campbellford, Warkworth,Brighton, Cramahe, and Alnwick Haldimand and belong to the OFATV organization. We did this so our residents had a safe and legal place to ride and to give back to our communities. All we ask is to not take anymore of our trails away for some bogus reason. Both ATV Club & Snowmobile Club has offered bodies and monitary help to bring any trail in the hydro line up to standard. To date that has fallen on deaf ears. ? So what is the real reason. If you are a user or even a supporter of residents using local trail, get ahold of our county council, CEO, and one on ones with our Mayors and tell them Your not happy how the county is closing trails now and for our future. The new forest master plan can be found on the CTY website or their FB page. Much more to read and heard about this issue. Thanks

    new ride for the wife.

    in Main Clubhouse

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Ox said:

    Fish:

     

    OK, so what's the wheels on the skis?

     

    They don't look like they are going to carry the front end into the trailer - doo they?

     

    Or maybe some ice scratcher of sorts?

    as others have mentioned, they are fold down wheels that I use on bare pavement (Gas stations, restaurants, motels, etc) or to move around in the shop.

    The ones I have on are Rouskis, which have served me well for 3 years. If I had to replace them I would go for the hydraulic ones. PITA to have to dismount to engage/disengage them!

×
×
  • Create New...