Canuck Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Luc, You are the glue that held snowmobiling together in northwestern Ontario. The trails, the spirit will never be the same. I remember speaking with you last fall. You mentioned how good it felt to properly finish the base of a hill. Pardon? You explained how proud you were to properly finish that part of the trail where the slope meets the flat ground, so the rider has minimal discomfort. Bravo Luc, you're one of a kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Everyone just wants to show up and ride and complain when things arn't perfect. Wonder If the club will survive or will the last link disappear. just sit and think about how big a link it really is........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I have never met Luc, but I really enjoyed reading his posts and blog page and watching those videos. I think I'm still dizzy from watching him in his ATV going around and around and around. It is a great loss for that club and the OFSC as well. The sport needs more people like Luc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC+YA Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Thank you for everything Luc. You have been the main information link, the main club member, the main groomer, the store owner, and the guy who has not had much time at home. "The Groomer Guy" The weeks before Christmas and since you returned from a short trip have been with little rest! This news takes the wind out of my sails, but I understand that nobody should push so hard. It takes a TEAM and though you have had help with the 100 mile loop while you were gone and equipment, 16 to 20 hours per day between your business and opening trails would burn anyone out. You need the family time. Your efforts and those of the other club people brought some new sledders to town over the holidays and your information convinced me to bring my family for a week. I know that all of the north has been changed by the loss of jobs. It makes little sense to me that big contracting dollars for cutting new trails and building bridges are made available, yet no money at all is available to pay for normal man-hours of grooming or trail maintenance. In areas hardest hit many people have left and those running their own bussiness are taking on more hours to cut costs. Funding in the way of pay for grooming and brushing is exactly what is needed to keep the trail system connected and working. This is much more important in the smallest towns covering some of the longest trail systems. The "NEW" section of F Trail from Missanabie to Dalton including a "NEW" bridge and the cutting of "NEW" trail on the D-108A will all be for nothing if the few left also have no extra time. The annual cost of one full time Groomer Person has to be much less than last years funding for just the one new bridge on the F Trail. Dubreuilville is a main part of the links around the north. One man cannot take so much responsibility without burning out! All the best Luc! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomo Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 For myself, GG's constant presence on the various sled forums and his joyat keeping sledding alive in this area (along with Big Reg and Jonesy) inspired me to get to this area this season. Have accomodations booked for a week in March, intend to get in a few day tours as is my usual thing, rent a sled for ms. slomo on trails that are relatively safer than in the south, and help in boosting the local economy. Thanks for being 'positives' in the list of pros and cons which determined my return to snowmobiling after a two year absence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 It could not have been an easy decision to make and I feel for GG honestly he is a great guy makes you wonder though were was everyone else in this town? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PISTON LAKE CRUISER Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Wow! I'm sorry to hear of your retirement from your club Luc. You have been an inspiration to the 100's of OFSC volunteer's and sledders who like myself, looked forward to opening OC to see what you had been doing and what you had to say. The snowmobiling community and the OFSC has lost a true ambassador. You have been the true definition of a volunteer over the years in my mind. I was very happy to meet you at the sled show last fall. If you put half the enthusiasm into your future endeavors that you have put into snowmobiling, you will be a success at whatever you do. I wish nothing but the best for you and your family in the future. THANK YOU GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doonut Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 The biggest loosers in this are sledders. What is obvious. WHY is pathetic at best. The OFSC should be ashamed of themselves. Luc, I really don't know how you did it. I was at a dinner party last night. There were 3 sledders there. Myself, my wife and daughter. We were all just talking about things in general and oddly enough, YOU came up in conversation. Someone mentioned the french Groomer Guy on you tube. All I could do was laugh and then explain who you were to them. Astonished at what you do ALONE was the best way to describe their actions. Discussions of why, with unemployment being what it is up there, would the OFSC not use some of the millions of tax dolars they receive to hire people to help you. Why do they expect YOU to do everything and essentially just send THEM money. Why would the government not make use of Ministry of Transport workers to help keep such a vital system operating. All I could answer them with was that the Government sends money and the OFSC absorbs it. I had to explain that the OFSC often appears more interested in itself as an entitiy than who it purportedly represents. How what they were doing as far as helping smaller clubs was a bad joke and how someday soon, those decisions and their current attitude would bite them hard in the ass. I guess that day has come. Maybe, I doubt it but just maybe your resignation will rattle a few bars, shake a few trees or just plain slap a few morons upside the head in Barrie and Queens Park. Maybe you are the force needed to knock a hole in the kingdom in Barrie and let some fresh, untainted air reach the brains of the so called "executive" who's job is supposed to be helping all clubs, not making it harder and harder. The sledding community will greatly miss your heart and soul efforts Luc. Many people will be deprived of someone special. You. Good luck in what ever path your future takes you. Keep smiling and go ride your sled on a Groomer Guy prepared trail while you still can.Word is he does a bang up job of laying the ribbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Thank you for everything Luc. You have been the main information link, the main club member, the main groomer, the store owner, and the guy who has not had much time at home. "The Groomer Guy" The weeks before Christmas and since you returned from a short trip have been with little rest! This news takes the wind out of my sails, but I understand that nobody should push so hard. It takes a TEAM and though you have had help with the 100 mile loop while you were gone and equipment, 16 to 20 hours per day between your business and opening trails would burn anyone out. You need the family time. Your efforts and those of the other club people brought some new sledders to town over the holidays and your information convinced me to bring my family for a week. I know that all of the north has been changed by the loss of jobs. It makes little sense to me that big contracting dollars for cutting new trails and building bridges are made available, yet no money at all is available to pay for normal man-hours of grooming or trail maintenance. In areas hardest hit many people have left and those running their own bussiness are taking on more hours to cut costs. Funding in the way of pay for grooming and brushing is exactly what is needed to keep the trail system connected and working. This is much more important in the smallest towns covering some of the longest trail systems. The "NEW" section of F Trail from Missanabie to Dalton including a "NEW" bridge and the cutting of "NEW" trail on the D-108A will all be for nothing if the few left also have no extra time. The annual cost of one full time Groomer Person has to be much less than last years funding for just the one new bridge on the F Trail. Dubreuilville is a main part of the links around the north. One man cannot take so much responsibility without burning out! All the best Luc! this is the perfect post to prove what some of us * realists * have been saying for years, the price of the permit needs to go up if you want to maintain the trails we have. With that being said, I still don't believe that offering pay to employ people in this area would work, at least not $12-15/h.The biggest demise of northern clubs is the lack of population to draw from. It is the same problem the Manitouwadge club has, no volunteers and didn't sell the minimum required permits to be an OFSC member club. This is what worries me about many small clubs in the north, if they aren't selling at least 50 permits, are they gonna get axed from the federation? A huge regrouping needs to be done if the system is going to be saved. All the risk management and O.R.S. has been a product of our "stick it up the hoop" provincial insurance scam. If the provincial government wasn't so corrupt and would put limitations on these thieving bastards, the families of Ontario and the OFSC alike would have allot more money. Insurance is the biggest scam in this province, aside from all the tax we pay. Another thing to look at is the fact that allot of this all started taking place when the provincial government got their fingers in here, they want reports, detailed reports of what is going on, from who is volunteering and how much to having detailed paper work on every single snowmobile related incident whether it was on a prescribed OFSC trail or not. Total crap to ask volunteers to do all this, but if the OFSC wants to continue getting government funding, all these guidelines have to be met. I hate to say it, but things are gonna fall apart quick, and not just in the north. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Reg Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We had been working alone for the last few years trying to keep the club going, burning the candle by both end, putting family aside. With my new job I don't have the same flexibility than before.....so less time for club stuff. Also my family needs me.........sometime you need to make a choice. I couldn't help a lot this season, but I was doing the best I can............I'm not supprise to see GG going away..........too much is too much Hopefully the few left with the club will get a wake-up call and show they can make it happen...........if there is a team in place I hope GG will re-consider. But it is very hard when local riders doesn't support or help the club. The other day, 4 local sleds stop at the shop to buy spark plugs.......so I ask, are you guys going fishing? they said no, we are going for a ride.........none of them had trail permit.....that same crew never help.......but are the first one to complaint about anything............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 The biggest loosers in this are sledders. What is obvious. WHY is pathetic at best. The OFSC should be ashamed of themselves. Luc, I really don't know how you did it. I was at a dinner party last night. There were 3 sledders there. Myself, my wife and daughter. We were all just talking about things in general and oddly enough, YOU came up in conversation. Someone mentioned the french Groomer Guy on you tube. All I could do was laugh and then explain who you were to them. Astonished at what you do ALONE was the best way to describe their actions. Discussions of why, with unemployment being what it is up there, would the OFSC not use some of the millions of tax dolars they receive to hire people to help you. Why do they expect YOU to do everything and essentially just send THEM money. Why would the government not make use of Ministry of Transport workers to help keep such a vital system operating. All I could answer them with was that the Government sends money and the OFSC absorbs it. I had to explain that the OFSC often appears more interested in itself as an entitiy than who it purportedly represents. How what they were doing as far as helping smaller clubs was a bad joke and how someday soon, those decisions and their current attitude would bite them hard in the ass. I guess that day has come. Maybe, I doubt it but just maybe your resignation will rattle a few bars, shake a few trees or just plain slap a few morons upside the head in Barrie and Queens Park. Maybe you are the force needed to knock a hole in the kingdom in Barrie and let some fresh, untainted air reach the brains of the so called "executive" who's job is supposed to be helping all clubs, not making it harder and harder. The sledding community will greatly miss your heart and soul efforts Luc. Many people will be deprived of someone special. You. Good luck in what ever path your future takes you. Keep smiling and go ride your sled on a Groomer Guy prepared trail while you still can.Word is he does a bang up job of laying the ribbon. You know, this may be a good thing if the trails don't get groomed for a while. There are lots of riders in that area that don't buy permits or provide any help. Now perhaps some will step forward if they have to ride rough trails. There has been tons of $$$ sent to that area, but if very few buy it's all in vain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dburrowes Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Wow - Like Steve C I too am a new member and in the short time that i have been on here I have received valuable information from Luc. Without knowing me from a hole in the ground he has taken the time to answer in detail my messages to him. Our crew have planned a trip through D'Ville mid Feb and after what I am reading, without Luc and his crew the area and town therefore is screwed. It would be our first ride through the area but we might have to re-evaluate this route. Any thoughts?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Reg Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I can tell you guys that it is because of you that we keep going for that long..........we almost never receive any thank you from local I enjoyed reading the post of sleders that had been throught our trails and were happy with the work Lets hope there is a solution soon..................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 The single biggest thing that could happen is the reopening of the mill and jobs. Honestly all of Ontario is suffering this "recession" is only prevented from being a Depression by the Social policies that are in place. In northern Ontario it is absolutly a depression and yet nothing is done to allow it to get back to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 makes you wonder though were was everyone else in this town? I spent a week up there this fall Bill, there isn't allot to draw from. The community as a whole doesn't seem to be real interested in the sport. There are a handful of individuals that show the interest, but that seems to be it. I think allot of people are working with the gold mine right now, the younger people are out there making some serious cash, allot of work though, I am sure when they get time off, the last thing they are gonna do is go back to the bush. Of course these are just my thoughts from what I saw and heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 went 4 a tour of that mill when we were there, Dave Jennings took us through, state of the art, hardly used since it was updated. A very sad state of affairs to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We had been working alone for the last few years trying to keep the club going, burning the candle by both end, putting family aside. With my new job I don't have the same flexibility than before.....so less time for club stuff. Also my family needs me.........sometime you need to make a choice. I couldn't help a lot this season, but I was doing the best I can............I'm not supprise to see GG going away..........too much is too much Hopefully the few left with the club will get a wake-up call and show they can make it happen...........if there is a team in place I hope GG will re-consider. But it is very hard when local riders doesn't support or help the club. The other day, 4 local sleds stop at the shop to buy spark plugs.......so I ask, are you guys going fishing? they said no, we are going for a ride.........none of them had trail permit.....that same crew never help.......but are the first one to complaint about anything............... Thanks for everything you have done too Reg, you guy's pulled off a masterful feat for years, it's time some other people step up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapeape Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 IMO rough trails will not change the situation. Yes, a few may complain, but most that live in the area wont care. Luc leaving is a HUGE loss. People like Luc, Reg, and Jonsey are holding the area together, and if there is not big changes soon, we will experience even more loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 You have to wonder if after busting his butt to get the trails ready if it did not hurt that the bulk of the traffic went to Cochrane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Groomer Guy Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 As I am reading all these comments.. it really touches my heart. but unfortunetly i needed to do this. Thank you for all your support. This has not been an easy decision.. i will be posting more later. For those that are on my facebook... Thanks for the msg... it might wake up the locals. I am also thinking of making a video to post on my blog explain more in details my decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 for the new members that may not have read this thread, this is going to become all to common if things don't change. Food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 You have to wonder if after busting his butt to get the trails ready if it did not hurt that the bulk of the traffic went to Cochrane? there is no doubt in that Bill, for some reason Cochrane is the place to go. For the last 6 years er so, I have been going to the Soo to unload, and riding north from there. For me,it is allot closer and gas is allot less expensive. I haven't driven to Cochrane since 03. Another thing that would have hurt was the temp, at -30's riders weren't heading from Cochrane to Dubreuilville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500ssman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 As I am reading all these comments.. it really touches my heart. but unfortunetly i needed to do this. Thank you for all your support. This has not been an easy decision.. i will be posting more later. For those that are on my facebook... Thanks for the msg... it might wake up the locals. I am also thinking of making a video to post on my blog explain more in details my decision. Good luck in your future endeavours!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 As I am reading all these comments.. it really touches my heart. but unfortunetly i needed to do this. Thank you for all your support. This has not been an easy decision.. i will be posting more later. For those that are on my facebook... Thanks for the msg... it might wake up the locals. I am also thinking of making a video to post on my blog explain more in details my decision. I hope u don't think anybody is disappointed in u Luc, because we are not, u did a fabulous job, every man has his limitations, ur's certainly seem to b higher. We all understand what you went through. Now go get the couch out and ripp the crap outa that trail, quit lookin at the stupid puter, u got SNOW, go enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dweese Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I was going to post part of this on the OFSC facebook page but I knew it should have just been deleted. I'm just putting this together from the stuff I've read here so I could be totally wrong. Luc said something earlier this season about only selling a hand full of permits so far this year. My guess he didn't make the minimum 50 permits sold and OFSC head office not looking at the area or anything else just sent him a letter saying your club didn't sell 50 permits so your membership is under review and could loose its status as an OFSC member club. And maybe that was the breaking point. Like I said I could be wrong. Could the OFSC becoming too big corp? You have clubs in the south pushing 1000's of permits a year for only looking after a handful of km of trails. Than you take the northern clubs with 100's of km of trails to look after and just hanging on to that 50 permit mark. And the OFSC just sees the number of permit sold. How many people are riding the northern more remote areas for free? Knowing that OPP presence is limited so the odds of getting stopped is slim. Hell that can be said for a lot of places in Ontario. Unless your riding top trails the odds of getting stopped is slim. So how do we fix this? First let's stop pushing the MTO for a price increase in permit fees, let's start by pushing for an increase in the fine for not having a permit. What is it now, you have to buy a permit trail side, WOW big deal. We should be pushing for a trailside ticket of $2500+ for not having a permit. Our current govement(but lets not go there yet)loves to bring in laws and stupid high fines, hello street racing law. It would be easy to push though and get passed because it effects so few people. Than that guy that lives in a remote area who knows the odds of seeing a cop is very slim who sees a fine of buying a permit trail side as a risk he is willing to take, but is going to think twice if he is looking at a $2500 fine for not having a permit. Than there is the whole thing of maybe making the have clubs send some of their permit dollars to the have not clubs. Because I'm sure there a lots of clubs out there that have a fair amount of rainy day funds laying around even more so this year. That could be shared with clubs like Luc's that are open and running right now well the rest of us sit and think about loading up the trailer to go sled in an area that has snow that our permit dollars isn't helping well our home club sits on our permit dollars making interest at the bank because they aren't spending any on fuel or groomer maintaintence. Sure they sold the permits but the need of the many out weights the need of the few. These smaller clubs close down we loose the land rights, and once that goes away they almost never come back. Making the places we can ride smaller and smaller. We need to make sure we protect the system as a whole not just my little part. Sorry to go on for so long and I may have gotten a little off topic and been way off base on my ideas. But I think part of he issue is that fact the OFSC is too GTA based and they maybe starting to get that centre of the universe idea a lot of others have when your based in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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