Ontario snowmobilers and visiting riders will be interested to hear that snowmobile clubs in this province recently approved a historic culture shift at the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC).
Their decision to approve the implementation of an ambitious and innovative new plan called "More On The Snow" helps secure a successful future for organized trail riding in Ontario. It also sets a bold new direction for delivering great trails that will be the envy of many other snowmobile organizations in North America and a template many will emulate in years to come.
A multi-layered and integrated plan for all of Ontario, More On The Snow will maximize effective and efficient use of permit dollars and improve rider experience by moving management of grooming operations from local clubs to OFSC districts (reduced in number from the current 16 to 12), with clubs working collaboratively to plan and deliver grooming for their entire region rather than independently within individual club boundaries as is now the case.
Clubs retain the responsibility for trail location, preparation and maintenance as well as landowner relations. This new coordinated approach will streamline grooming as shared equipment goes wherever needed in each region, making for more seamless and consistent trails and helping to assure more regular grooming even when equipment breaks down.
More On The Snow will also use permit dollars more effectively, saving money by moving management of the groomer fleet to the provincial level where the ongoing purchase, replacement and allocation of these $250,000+ machines will be planned and delivered centrally with district input (rather than piecemeal by individual clubs), thereby assuring that the entire fleet is being continually evaluated, monitored and updated with new equipment.
This will improve rider experience with better and more consistent grooming capability (with fewer breakdowns) everywhere. Central fleet management will also reduce costs by taking maximum advantage of bulk buying opportunities and new options such as short-term rentals, leasing and equipment sharing, and by reducing costly repairs on ageing machines.
More On The Snow also improves rider experience by building stronger clubs and reducing volunteer workload in club administration and paperwork, enabling volunteers to focus more on delivering great trails and club social activities. What’s more, More On The Snow will enhance trail riding opportunities in the less-populated rural and remote areas of the province, which have some of the best snow and trails. And finally, More On The Snow will help attract more visiting riders as word spreads about the improvements being made to Ontario snowmobiling.
Two years in the planning, More On The Snow builds on an OFSC permit revenue redistribution decision several years ago that, among other things now allocates more grooming dollars each season to regions with more snow. The many rider benefits of More On The Snow will not be achieved overnight, but incrementally over the next several years they will make Ontario an even better trail riding destination than it already is!
