I've always thought that there are two ways that we can travel. The first is as a tourist—you stay at a hotel, visit “the sights” and take a few family pics in front of famous local landmarks. The second (and more appealing to myself) is when you jump in to the culture and lifestyle of your destination. You stay with friends or at a B & B and experience the way of life that’s unique to the area. Well, District 5 is that kind of experience... with great hotels available too! I truly believe that this area offers a special and unique appeal to snowmobile enthusiasts.
In District 5 you will find the heart of snowmobiling. Our landscape is comprised of a great deal of farmland, and many of our sledders and volunteers are farmers, with a strong connection to the land. The variety of terrain here is incredible… we've got farmland, bush, river flats and hills. There are ultra-modern farms, Amish settlements, cities, towns and village in a landscape that's always changing. Out of the entire province, this is one of the things that makes us unique.
We’re also optimists, as farmers must be, and never hesitate to put in many, many hours of hard work and planning for a season that is usually shorter and more fickle than in the more northern districts. Our members are a passionate and hardy group, and this love and dedication to the sport is felt with every visit to a warm-up shack or favourite sledding stop along the trails. The people are what make District 5 unique, and our passion and dedication make for fantastic trails that are groomed to perfection along with many friendly faces along the way. We have many club events throughout the season, and you’ll always get a wave and warm welcome here! We epitomize the very best, the “heart”, of snowmobiling.
This is the first year for our new 5 Alive tour loop—it's basically one large tour that covers most of our area. To compliment that, we also have 3 shorter loops for sledders looking for a mini-getaway. The great thing about these loops is that you never travel the same trail twice... and, if you're a rider from out of province, you can come and enjoy these loops without feeling lost. This is a popular area for snowmobilers from places like Pennsylvania, Michigan and other northern U.S. states.
I've grown up around here and have gotten to know people in the snowmobiling community. What continues to impress me is the passion and dedication of the volunteer sledding community here, which I think has a lot to do with our agricultural roots. I'm amazed by how many hours people put into it year after year. There are people who've been doing this for decades; they keep investing their time and it shows. There's a real sense of community—there are deep roots here.
