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Try our trails marketing


mczed38

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I got notification of Try our Trails promotional material being available to clubs now. But I'm a bit torn on deploying it. Permit buyers are taking a beating this season, and promoting trails with questionable bases or limited conditions to holders of a free permit seems like a smack in the face of our club $upporters.

If the trails are only available in pockets of the province like they have been so far I'd rather see the idea shelved for this season and IF there are decent trails to be ridden on Family Day leave them for the permit buyers. 

 

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Amen

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Well thanks for posting this I was thinking this but did not post anything.  The past 2 seasons have had the best trails on the free weekend but so friggin busy its crazy out there.  Sleds sideways, drinking more than I normally see on a regular weekend.  I'm  talking about on the trails not at the stops for drinking. Although last year was brutally cold so if  it's going to be the same it might turn some people away.

 

i do like the idea of try our trails but I completely  100% disagree with it being on the only long weekend.  It should be on a 2 Day weekend and might entice people to buy a one day permit.

 

 

 

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The date of the "Free" Weekend needs to be changed.

 

Paying Permit Buyers that trailer should have 1 long weekend to ride some good trails. 

 

Having the "Freeloaders" be all over the place pisses off paying sledders from renting a place or going to the cottage to sled because of the traffic.

 

Most local sledders won't even go out and ride as the trails are usually crap and dangerous.

 

The clubs can't keep up with grooming and get crap on for having crap trails for paying sledders.

 

 

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I'm used to the setting out on pristine freshly groomed trails on an average Saturday morning and seeing them in rough shape in the afternoon. It's just the way it is. Then on Sunday there tends to be less traffic and they last even longer.

 

On the Family Day Weekend trails start out pristine and they don't have a chance of lasting until late afternoon. They are torn apart by noon. Lots of people riding $15K sleds with free or no passes visible, riding down the middle of the trails and in general tearing them up digging holes starting from a stand still. It's not only a Saturday thing, extend it into Sunday in the same proportions as Saturday. Traffic drops off on the holiday Monday.

 

The free weekend has been running long enough that those with sleds who weren't buying permits have had multiple opportunities to change their habits. Either do away with it completely, only have it every second or third year but definitely change  the dates to another weekend.

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3 hours ago, mczed38 said:

I got notification of Try our Trails promotional material being available to clubs now. But I'm a bit torn on deploying it. Permit buyers are taking a beating this season, and promoting trails with questionable bases or limited conditions to holders of a free permit seems like a smack in the face of our club $upporters.

If the trails are only available in pockets of the province like they have been so far I'd rather see the idea shelved for this season and IF there are decent trails to be ridden on Family Day leave them for the permit buyers. 

 

I have been preaching this sermon on OC for years.  

 

No business gives their product away in the busiest weekend of the year for their paying customers.

 

It is also too late in the season to spark any new sales.

 

This promotion has run too long and is not attracting new permit buyers.

 

In addition the Province of Ontario is not supporting the huge business of snowmobiling.  Cancel this Free Weekend until such time that the Province comes to the table in a positive way.

 

Lets face it, organized snowmobiling has virtually zero voice at Queens Park.

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I keep hearing how the OFSC does have a person to lobby the province for assistance and I believe there is some effort but to what extent and what success. I keep getting the emailed OFSC Newsletter but never seem to see anything in there that addresses what initiatives the OFSC are pursuing. I could be wrong but how much more effective would it be if i.e. everyone was notified that the OFSC was lobbying the province to provide a tax credit to landowners with a trail on their private property. Then ask the permit buyers (voters) to reach out to their MPP as well indicating their support of the concept and why they feel it is important. Something tells me say 70,000 voices through multiple MPP's is a lot better than just one from the OFSC. Could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

Back on topic... with online sales only it should be real easy to tell if there is a sudden spike or nothing happens at all after the free weekend as well as if any permit sales after the long weekend were by those taking advantage of  the long weekend. It would only take minutes. Compare one Excel spreadsheet of free weekend buyers to another spreadsheet of after the weekend buyers electronically and produce only the duplicates.

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02, Mike Clewer was the lobbyist up until his recent departure. What impact he had is up for debate but I think he did a good job with the bill 100 meetings/hearings. As to the Sustainable Funding plank in the OFSC strategy, I have seen no progress on that either. And I am not holding my breath either. 

 

The lobbyist accountabilities are apparently transfering to Paul Shsugnessy as part of a realignment at OFSC. The BoG has appointed a search committee to find a new Exec Director. Paul will be respondinile for Risk Management/Insurance/Govt Lobbying. 

 

As as for the Free Weekend, it's time has passed. Time for a fresh initiative. 

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1 hour ago, gobills said:

Well thanks for posting this I was thinking this but did not post anything.  The past 2 seasons have had the best trails on the free weekend but so friggin busy its crazy out there.  Sleds sideways, drinking more than I normally see on a regular weekend.  I'm  talking about on the trails not at the stops for drinking. Although last year was brutally cold so if  it's going to be the same it might turn some people away.

 

i do like the idea of try our trails but I completely  100% disagree with it being on the only long weekend.  It should be on a 2 Day weekend and might entice people to buy a one day permit.

 

 

 

Pretty certain you can't buy a one day permit. Multi day permits only.

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47 minutes ago, 02Sled said:

I keep hearing how the OFSC does have a person to lobby the province for assistance and I believe there is some effort but to what extent and what success. I keep getting the emailed OFSC Newsletter but never seem to see anything in there that addresses what initiatives the OFSC are pursuing. I could be wrong but how much more effective would it be if i.e. everyone was notified that the OFSC was lobbying the province to provide a tax credit to landowners with a trail on their private property. Then ask the permit buyers (voters) to reach out to their MPP as well indicating their support of the concept and why they feel it is important. Something tells me say 70,000 voices through multiple MPP's is a lot better than just one from the OFSC. Could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

Back on topic... with online sales only it should be real easy to tell if there is a sudden spike or nothing happens at all after the free weekend as well as if any permit sales after the long weekend were by those taking advantage of  the long weekend. It would only take minutes. Compare one Excel spreadsheet of free weekend buyers to another spreadsheet of after the weekend buyers electronically and produce only the duplicates.

I understand what you are saying 02, the only problem is that in our area at least there is a multitude of sleds out that weekend that did not register for the free permit. Why would they, when chances are that nothing is going to happen to them if they do get stopped. So the report you suggest would not be representative of the real # of free riders.

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For those of you with Clubhouse access there are numbers posted to justify the continuation of the program. And perhaps they are valid. I will be pulling numbers for our club this evening from PTS. But to actively promote the ability to ride our trails free of charge when members waited until the snow was flying in December to buy FULL PRICE permits only to see their machines parked for nearly a month now is simply a no go for me.

Perhaps a less than enthusiastic response by clubs this season in promotion efforts will give notice to the Federation that the idea is in need of reconsideration.  

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2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Pretty certain you can't buy a one day permit. Multi day permits only.

Gotcha I missed the consecutive days part.  Never really pay attention to anything but the yearly portion lol

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2 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Pretty certain you can't buy a one day permit. Multi day permits only.

Sure you can, but has to be a minimum of 2 days @ $35/Day.

 

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11 hours ago, soupkids said:

Sure you can, but has to be a minimum of 2 days @ $35/Day.

 

Pretty sure you know what I meant.

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3 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

Pretty sure you know what I meant.

I did

 

 

Lol

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OFSC Newsletter - February 2, 2017

View this email in your browser

 

 

Try Our Trails Permits Are Now Available!
 

 

ff99062c-87ce-4056-9590-07350f281e22.jpg

 

The Try Our Trails permit gives you access to OFSC trails and is valid only for the Family Day Weekend (Feburary 18, 19 and 20).*

Click Here to register for your 2017 Try Our Trails Permit today!

 

 

 

Can't make it on Family Day Weekend?b8cbe873-8507-4898-ab68-f6b57972b237.png


Visit www.ofsc.on.ca today and find out how you can access Ontario Snowmobile Trails for as low as $35/day*!

 

 

 

2ff30fe8-cde5-407a-ac8c-9ac9e4384a84.jpg

 

Just in Time for Family Day Long Weekend!
Have you had a chance to ride one of the OFSC promoted Snow Tours this season?

Now after you ride them, rate them! Take 2 minutes after your ride and tell us what you loved, what can be improved and what you would like to see on future Snow Tours.

Not only will your feedback help make Ontario snowmobiling the best it can be, your input will enable us to develop more and even better Snow Tours in the future! 

Start Planning Your Ride, Check Out the 33 Snow Tours Today!


 

 

Got this e-mail this morning.

 

Replied:

It's time for this program to end.

Paying permit holders need not share the one long weekend in the snowmobile season with freeloaders!

End the program now, or  at least change it to a two day weekend on another date.

Why not run it the  same weekend as Quebec does if at all?

 

Regards,

 Todd

I don't know if anyone will get this or read it, but it is time for the faithful permit buyers to voice their opinion to the OFSC!

 

 

 

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23 hours ago, bbakernbay said:

And the Clubs to move a Motion at the AGM to suspend this promotion.

 

Easily done and would send a message as to what the Clubs think is right.

I think this was talked about briefly at last agm. But as always a few member clubs say that its a good thing an they see numbers apparently so they kept it going. Seriously I dont see the numbers really increasing cause of this free weekend and for a few clubs that "say they have numbers to support keeping this" is NOT realistic for the whole province to keep this ridiculous freeloader weekend. Perhaps maybe going to have this every two years or so but NOT every year if some clubs want to keep the freeloader weekend. 

 

As such I dont see any numbers to support this in my club an therefore will NOT be promoting this freeloaders weekend on our club fb page but if another member wants to they can from our club. Just my two cents on this, oh wait no more pennies so i'll have to round up to 5 cents. 

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3 hours ago, gobills said:

They should be able to tell the clubs the exact number of permits that were bought after Feb long weekend.

 

 

 

It would be more interesting to see how many of the "Free Permit" takers actual bought a full season pass the following year or just continue to take advantage of the free weekend year after year.

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Well I guess I'll be the lone voice for the free weekend however which way it goes. I like it - we pay for two seasons passes and have bought a pass or passes since 2005. Regardless whether it is on the only long weekend or any other weekend we all have to share the trails with sledders ,walkers and skiers in many areas the trails run.Doesn't matter what day I go out for a ride there is always some jerk off on a newer supposedly will run on rails sled that has to be on my side of the damn trail on a blind corner.I dont have a problem staying to the right so why can't they? I don't drive like a granny either but I also want to enjoy my ride safely.Yes many newbys could be out that day and not really be aware of  the rules of the trail but there are many more that know and don't give a f^^k period. So having said that little rant, I get two free passes for our two vintage sleds so we can do a little run maybe get a couple pics on an actual trail enjoy a couple hrs and pack em away for the next show.Last year I got them we didnt have any trail to ride on here.

If some club is saying they are posting #'s of activity I would say that is only proven if they are actually seen and counted on the trails.Anyone with a sled can apply for the pass and not ever ride a km. I just proved that for two last year.

If the OFSC wants to modify it in some way it wouldn't matter to me but my suggestion would be only to members that already pay for a seasons or classic pass. Chances are those that already pay have no problem with being compliant and putting the proper form on their 'extra sled' for that weekend.

Kerry

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Agreed Kerry but as always, if you allow something there are always people who will abuse it. Does anybody think that I will buy trail passes for my 13 antique sleds. Not a _____g chance but it sure would be nice to take them out on today's trails. One problem though and I wonder if you have experienced it Kerry. When you have your old sled out on the trail, does it seem like riders want to run into you? People steer where they look and they are looking at you.

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On January 29, 2017 at 5:31 PM, Doogirl69 said:

The date of the "Free" Weekend needs to be changed.

 

I agree with this and it should be amended to be third weekend of January (same as Quebec free weekend).  This way people aren't getting two free weekends of riding ever year. I still think it is a good idea and early in season, when there is less traffic makes sense. Why are we putting an extra 14,000 sleds on trails, during busiest weekend of the year. Make them buy a permit to ride that weekend like everyone else.  Most people have time off then, so they will buy a permit if free weekend was moved I think. 

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