Staying on the trail has been promoted for years and small fines equate to "legal for a price" If you are caught. That price needs to be much higher. Same with modified exhaust.
The two things the public complains about the most are a slap on the wrist.
We lost a trail this year that was rerouted down a once quiet little side road. Those locals are petitioning to have it moved due to noise and people riding the ditches and making a mess of driveways as they cross over.
One fella drove T-bar stakes in the ground where sledders were jumping his driveway. Bet some of those sleds tore some stuff up. His private property, not road allowance.
Maybe not as big a fines as some feel deserving, but they were caught and charged. That is the point to be promoted, off trail not allowed unless on crown land.
I just looked up the fine for Trespass in Ontario:
Schedule 85
Trespass to Property Act
Item
Offence
Section
Set Fine
1.
Enter premises when entry prohibited
2(1)(a)(i)
$50.00
2.
Engage in prohibited activity on premises
2(1)(a)(ii)
$50.00
3.
Fail to leave premises when directed
2(1)(b)
$50.00
If these are correct they arejust pathetic! I couldn't find a date on this particular site.
I haven't been stopped in several years now.
The OFSC needs to keep on advertising that the free weekend doesn't exist any more. I've seen multiple posts in Facebook groups this year asking when it was. There are probably plenty that don't ask and play stupid.
I was riding Sunday and I saw a ton of sleds that were over 20 years old. I wasn't checking for permits but I'll bet half the sleds I seen were pre-2005.
From CTVNews
Three snowmobilers will need to pay up after going off approved trails.
Members of the Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police were patrolling an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trail near Erin on Monday when they saw a snowmobiler go off around 2 p.m.
They stopped the 22-year-old from Orangeville and charged them with entering premises when entry is prohibited under the Trespass to Property Act.
Just over two hours later, at 4:15 p.m., police saw two snowmobilers go off trail and cut through a field near Armstrong Mills in Guelph-Eramosa Township.
Two 17-year-olds from Guelph were also charged with entering premises when entry is prohibited.
All three were also fined $65.