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The vest I get, but shin guards? Why? I mean, If you get hit in the legs by something, shin guards arent going to provide much protection unless you are worried about getting slapped by a passing tree branch. Just curious.

People will buy a two day pass and ride 3 days or maybe 4. It's happening now. Add a day on each side of pass date and roll dice. I am buying my permits this month. I just waited to help ofsc abit and wanted mail to run abit smoother too.   I always thought a monthly payment would be way to go. Everything that way now, why not just offer it instead of huge discount. Maybe 40 dollar discount with monthly payments, deadline oct 31. Then make it 4 or 5 payments from November to March.  What's a 55 dollar monthly payment. Most won't even notice that. Make it automatic recurring until cancelled to save time and money.  anything that help put more onto snow 👌

Forgetting the politics, it seems to me that a bad winter hurts all business associated with the need for snow. No snow, no sales. A good winter hurts the clubs and volunteers. Volunteers burn out and clubs go broke trying to keep up and maintain. Nothing about it makes me want to invest.  The sport was once run on passion and a shoe string budget. Competition within the industry was fierce and the sport was affordable for near anyone wanting in. Now, $10k buys a sled that might implode on itself the first time the flipper hits the bar for more than a few seconds. The price of riding gear and maintenance items are ridiculous. If your not handy and rely on dealer maintenance, wow. A couple old 4 strokes I owned required a nascar pit crew to change a plug trailside.   The layout required to enter the sport have made it so people have unreal expectations. I really dont think the cost of a trailpass is a deal breaker for anyone who can afford to get into the game to begin with. Just my opinion.

Welcome aboard. I have a property near hwy48 and Aurora Road, and OntarioF7 lives near Kirkfield. 

Not suggesting the government gets anything from the permit, but by being associated with it, with no input on increases, etc...., when grants are given by the government, it is not scrutinized as much......IMO, in order for the sport to exist, the government needs to continue to give grants, just like QC does, along with a permit price that makes sense for the sport to exist, not appease riders that are on the fence over the cost of a permit of all things - the amount of money added to the tax bucket, some of it should be returned. Plus there has been talks of aligning the snowmobile license sticker with the permit - I know lots of ideas and no evidence of heading in this direction anytime soon, if at all.  So no robbing to pay anyone, that is and will be a mess, agreed - just like it is now AFAIK, the MTO keeps nothing from the permit, just happens to own the rights/final say for now and as suggested, the rational shared on here the MTO turned down the increase was to keep things "affordable for Ontario folks", but a decision made without actually knowing anything about the sport or needs.....hence remove their power on that decision. Then add the policing requirement, which I do not think there is a way around that, even if it is dismal right now, perhaps compliment it with additional resources to fill the gaps. As for financial impact to Ontario, I thought there was a report that broke down the impact that sledders have from keeping business' operating during the lean months to gas tax collected, etc.....not sure what the number was, but i thought it was way up there. The system is currently handicapped by the government, remove that 100%.