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Snowmobile trails will open this year after closing for COVID last March

'The plain fact is that more than ever, our success in delivering trails this winter will depend on the snowmobile community pulling together as one to accomplish our shared mission'
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Despite COVID the trails will reopen. Jeff Turl/BayToday.

NORTH BAY — It raised a lot of eyebrows last March when the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs closed its trails early because of COVID-19.

The reason was not because sledders might catch it, but because they might spread it.

See: Coronavirus closes local snowmobile trails, and those provincewide by Saturday

"It was based on the state of emergency and we didn't know what we were looking at," Jessica Reynolds, OFSC District 11 Coordinator told BayToday. "We didn't want to encourage travel to the smaller communities up north because a lot of the riders were coming from down south and they could potentially bring the virus to smaller communities that couldn't handle it."

For this winter the OFSC is working with all the health units across Ontario to easily determine if certain regions are in phases one, two, or three, whereas last winter it was all one region with no segregation between the north and the south.

"Now we have the ability to segregate the northern portion of the trails which may be in phase three, if the south goes back to phase one or two, we won't have to follow suit. The only issue would be if the province announced another travel ban, then they may close. It Toronto or other areas go into phase one again, and the north remains in phase three, we would remain open," said Reynolds.

That's good news for area sledders.

"It's a perfect sport for COVID, you're in a helmet, you're not near anyone. What else can you ask for?" added Reynolds. "We're full steam ahead. We've got the infrastructure, our volunteers are actively working and haven't stopped and we're all pushing for a regular season."

For early birds, new this year is a "confidence bonus" to guard against trails being closed early again.

"The OFSC will apply the Rider Advantage Confidence Bonus for 2022 permits should snowmobile trails become closed this season as a result of COVID-19 health guidelines. For the bonus to apply, such closure would have to occur before February 16, 2021 and continue for the remainder of the season. The appropriate bonus, up to $50, would then be applied to your 2022 Permit account," according to the OFSC website.

2021 snowmobile trail permits are now available online.

"Permits have never been sold on September first before," says Reynolds. "So it's very early but it's to determine what kind of response we're going to receive this year. Are people going to be interested? Are people not willing to get out there but be safe and staying at home? Or is our regular ridership going to return? It's really kind of a litmus test for early sales and what the season is going to look like."


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