This week is National Snowmobile Safety Week and although snowmobile enthusiasts are ready to hit the trail locally, right now there isn’t enough snow just yet for any type of trail foundation. As matter of fact, as of Friday there were only 100kms worth of trails open in all of Ontario. We talked with Martin Timmermans who is the groomer coordinator and trail inspector with the Strathroy Snoblizzards Snowmobile Club who says stakes and signs are 99% laid out on the local trails as the Snoblizzards are responsible for about 300 kilometres of trails stretching all the way to Port Stanley. He says safety is always top priority and having some law enforcement on the trails with OPP sleds isn’t a bad thing either.
He says without farmers and their land that the trails run through, there would simply be nothing for area snowmobilers to enjoy.
He says snowmobilers should make sure their sled is ready even before hitting the trails.
Timmermans says a lot cannot be done for snowmobilers without volunteers and farmers.
As far as when local trails will be ready, he says that’s all on mother nature, but to always check the trail interactive map daily at www.ofsc.on.ca to see when trails are ready which would be indicated by a colour of green. Drivers 12-years-old and older are now required to get licensing online only. In the past 10 years, there have been 158 snowmobile fatalities. Common factors included speeding, alcohol/drugs and riding on unsafe frozen waterways. 41% of the fatalities were linked to alcohol/drugs and 36% of them occurred on frozen lakes and rivers. More information at www.strathroysnoblizzards.com.
Written by: C. Soares