2026 OFSC PERMITS

[Spiderman]

3 minutes ago, stoney said:

Ya, ride the same trail in the summer and then the winter - the winter just feels and looks better, you cannot explain it, you need to experience it to get that feeling......but dollars to cents, you need to really love that winter feeling to stay in the game in this day and age .

 

100% no other experience like snowmobiling. I feel like I have done/experienced not everything, but very very close to it. Still nothing like it.

 

It is very very hard to get people to commit to it though.

 

People generally "hate" winter - and all they do is complain about it and want for it to go away.

 

We are a special bunch - and our #'s are falling - hence seeing what we are seeing with the trail network. 

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

2 hours ago, Strong Farmer said:

In past I bought one permit in northern Ontario so club could hit 50 permits to stay active in ofsc. Dubrevuille was one club I bought permits from years ago, when they were pleading for help to hit minium numbers. Now I buy them local to save southern trails were I like to ride . 

You didn't buy your permit in Northern Ontario. You chose to support a northern club with your purchase from your home address. I don't believe the OFSC is that concerned about tracking what club you picked to suppport with your permit purchase. They are looking at the address of the permit purchaser. That tells them a lot more than what club you chose on your permit purchase.

[scottyr]

I dont really know why you even bother picking a club anymore?     Other than the check box that allows you to be contacted about volunteering there is zero reason to choose your home club anymore.    

 

They still give $50 extra in Quebec to the club you choose.  

[Spiderman]

56 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

You didn't buy your permit in Northern Ontario. You chose to support a northern club with your purchase from your home address. I don't believe the OFSC is that concerned about tracking what club you picked to suppport with your permit purchase. They are looking at the address of the permit purchaser. That tells them a lot more than what club you chose on your permit purchase.

both can/would be true.

He very well could have purchased it directly at the club in Northern Ontario - and at the time - having to put his home address on the permit.

 

We used to buy ours local from the club and/or their sellers - but our home address would have been on the permit.

 

Now that I think about it, we may have been using the cottage address anyway, can't really remember.

 

As Scotty R said, none of it matters now as the distribution method is used.

 

What you can still do is make a personal donation directly to your club though - to use at their discretion

[04nightfire]

100 percent.  No better feeling or rush than being on a sled.  A 270 tuned winder gives me the giggles and movement in places I won't discuss on here.  Once my kids are old enough to ride by themselves, I will get ones for them if they want.  It is nice to hop in the SxS and just go as well and not have to get all the snow suits on.

[Strong Farmer]

5 hours ago, Spiderman said:

 

100% no other experience like snowmobiling. I feel like I have done/experienced not everything, but very very close to it. Still nothing like it.

 

It is very very hard to get people to commit to it though.

 

People generally "hate" winter - and all they do is complain about it and want for it to go away.

 

We are a special bunch - and our #'s are falling - hence seeing what we are seeing with the trail network. 

I got a newbie this winter. Die hard winter guy. He's going to buy gear and ride my old skidoo (900 ace) for a few days this year. Then I sell him sled lol 😆 

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

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[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

3 hours ago, Spiderman said:

He very well could have purchased it directly at the club in Northern Ontario - and at the time - having to put his home address on the permit.

If you read on, it basically speaks to purchases from home but supporting a northern club. He like many sent a chequed and bought a permit from Dubreiville and they mailed it to him. Since online permits there is very little benefit if any at all as to what club is named. 

[Spiderman]

3 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

If you read on, it basically speaks to purchases from home but supporting a northern club. He like many sent a chequed and bought a permit from Dubreiville and they mailed it to him. Since online permits there is very little benefit if any at all as to what club is named. 

 

Yeah, sorry, I just read that he said he bought it from a northern club - so I assumed he actually bought it from them like we used to do as well - in person. My bad.

 

Agreed there is little benefit at this point other than to tick the volunteer box - and bigger plus would be donating $ directly to the club. 

[yamadan700]

5 hours ago, scottyr said:

I dont really know why you even bother picking a club anymore?     Other than the check box that allows you to be contacted about volunteering there is zero reason to choose your home club anymore.    

 

They still give $50 extra in Quebec to the club you choose.  

Not 100% sure, but I believe the club gets $10 a permit sold. Pick our club!!..lol..

It can add up and helps to purchase trail clearing tools, ie pole saws, etc

[PISTON LAKE CRUISER]

4 minutes ago, yamadan700 said:

It can add up and helps to purchase trail clearing tools, ie pole saws, etc

I guess I'm wondering why your District would not be supplying those tools for your club's use?

[yamadan700]

10 hours ago, Zertrider said:

Between that and using the app anytime you ride locally is the only way we are going to keep trails down here open. Head office apparently was going to choose which trails to close strictly by looking at the heat map (app tracking), and selecting the least used trails. Problem with that is local riders never use the App. They know where they are going. I have literally never turned on the app when riding from home, only when touring up north.

I believe(hope) the OFSC realizes that the "heat map" is bullshit.

We have a club member that lives at the end of Big Bald Lake(Kawarthas) where the trail meets the lake. He has 30-50 sleds going by his place daily and the "heat map" info showed only 2 sleds went by!!!...lol... Must of been him and I going out for a ride from his place!!..lol..

[yamadan700]

6 minutes ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

I guess I'm wondering why your District would not be supplying those tools for your club's use?

They are club purchases and then they belong to the club.

Don't think (or know) if the District pays for those things or not. May look into it. District pays for grooming, groomer repairs,  signage, sign posts, etc.. 

We mostly use our own chainsaws, etc. but we do have club owned chainsaws, tools etc that we paid for from the club's finances.

[Strong Farmer]

28 minutes ago, yamadan700 said:

Not 100% sure, but I believe the club gets $10 a permit sold. Pick our club!!..lol..

It can add up and helps to purchase trail clearing tools, ie pole saws, etc

That was old way I believe clubs don't get cuts any more per permit. Also use to be a minimum of 50 permits needed to be a club within ofsc. Both of those are long gone I believe. 

[T bird]

On 11/18/2025 at 9:48 AM, Strong Farmer said:

Snowmobile puts a bigger smile on your face then all terrain vehicles do. My son already talking about going snowmobiling, he could care less about atv now. 
I bought a used snowmobile too.  Lots of then out there with low miles and at good price.  

Tell me again about your sled you bought and how many miles you’re going to put on…. Did you max out hrs for the. Zero turn this year?…. Asking for a friend 

[Strong Farmer]

3 hours ago, T bird said:

Tell me again about your sled you bought and how many miles you’re going to put on…. Did you max out hrs for the. Zero turn this year?…. Asking for a friend 

Zero turn blew engine after a record amount of hours. Still waiting for replacement engine! 
I can't wait to ride sled. I have two now so not sure how many miles they will see. Hoping for 1000 miles on Polaris maybe more. We shall see. 

 

[scottyr]

14 hours ago, Strong Farmer said:

Zero turn blew engine after a record amount of hours. Still waiting for replacement engine! 
I can't wait to ride sled. I have two now so not sure how many miles they will see. Hoping for 1000 miles on Polaris maybe more. We shall see. 

 

I think you missed the sarcasm in his post.    😂

 

[scottyr]

17 hours ago, T bird said:

Tell me again about your sled you bought and how many miles you’re going to put on…. Did you max out hrs for the. Zero turn this year?…. Asking for a friend 

 

Thats some funny sh-t right there.    Thank you.  

[grover_yyz]

I purchased my permit on Nov 1 and number is just over 40,000. Looks like a lot of people took advantage of early bird pricing.

 

[Spiderman]

56 minutes ago, grover_yyz said:

I purchased my permit on Nov 1 and number is just over 40,000. Looks like a lot of people took advantage of early bird pricing.

 

Good and bad - but happy the clubs have some funds to work with.

Based on FB - they've all been very very busy already.

[T bird]

9 hours ago, scottyr said:

I think you missed the sarcasm in his post.    😂

 

As we all know… he misses most of what is directed his way…cheap entertainment!

[stoney]

lol, play nice in the sandbox…😂

 

 

not to jinx anything, but it’s been a good Nov, lower temps are setting in, some snow activity, water is freezing in spots, don’t think there has been much rain flooding the bushes..fingers crossed.  

[Yukon]

8 hours ago, stoney said:

lol, play nice in the sandbox…😂

 

 

not to jinx anything, but it’s been a good Nov, lower temps are setting in, some snow activity, water is freezing in spots, don’t think there has been much rain flooding the bushes..fingers crossed.  

Still a long time for Central Ontario to see a good frost in the ground.

 

Crops are still in the fields.

 

January start, if things don't improve.

 

Side Note: Very rarely do we see a good frost.

 

 

[stoney]

34 minutes ago, Yukon said:

Still a long time for Central Ontario to see a good frost in the ground.

 

Crops are still in the fields.

 

January start, if things don't improve.

 

Side Note: Very rarely do we see a good frost.

 

 

Oh I’m not banking on anything before Jan, but we seem to be going down a decent path so far with some minus’ temps, some snow here and there to get people motivated for the upcoming season, plus small areas of water are iced over.

Dec is just around the corner which means Jan isn’t too far away either!

 

[Strong Farmer]

5 hours ago, Yukon said:

Still a long time for Central Ontario to see a good frost in the ground.

 

Crops are still in the fields.

 

January start, if things don't improve.

 

Side Note: Very rarely do we see a good frost.

 

 

It's been a warm November. I just cut my grass again on November 20th.,All our crops are done, just some manure hauling left to do next week. Corn will be done shortly in southern Ontario. Temperatures are going to dip next week too. Bring it on. Hopefully snow stays away for a few weeks to help get some frost into ground. 🙏