Media Releases for winter of 2002

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DECEMBER 2002

District One is very proud to announce the latest acquisition of a nearly new groomer and drag by the Glengarry Snowmobile Club. What is so significant about this piece of equipment is the cooperation between the two OFSC districts, District 12 and District 1 and the two clubs, Sudbury Trail Plan (STP) and the Glengarry S C. With a distance of 500 kms apart. These clubs and the district office communicated this past summer over the final purchase of one of the groomers from STP. The Marcel 399 Massey comes complete with a mogul master 9-foot drag that will do an excellent job to improve the grooming schedule for Glengarry's trail network.

The foundation of this story is the Volunteer in Action program VIA Richard Riach from STP is a VIA committee member who worked with the Governor of District One, Bruce Robinson who is also the chair of the VIA program on finding a club that could use a groomer to enhance the trails for all of Ontario snowmobiler's. With help from the district office, negotiations took place and Remi Sauve of Glengarry Snowmobile Club worked out the final purchase of the groomer and kept the unit in Ontario on the snow. This is proof what the support of the district office and the VIA program can do, working to keep snowmobiling fun and making new snowmobiling friends around the province. The attached photo shows Remi and Glengarry's president Jacques Theoret with their new groomer.

A BIG THANK YOU GOES OUT TO ALL!!

OCTOBER 2002

OFSC CLUB OF THE YEAR!

The Seaway Valley Snowmobile Association picked up quite a bit of hardware at the 2002 Annual General Meeting and Convention in September. The SVSA won the coveted President's Club of the Year award for most outstanding club of 286 clubs in Ontario. Criteria for winning this award was based on improvements such as extensive trail work, new groomer, increased permit sales, increased membership, membership moral, and trail improvements based on snowmobile safety.

The SVSA received a plaque, a trophy and a rescue sleigh (shown here with trophy on top), donated by Trail Smart Insurance, complete with extra tool chest, back board, toboggan rescue sleigh, trailer with 2 sets of wheels (1 set for off-road) valued at approximately $6000.00.

Thanks for this award goes out to the entire SVSA executive and volunteers for their hard work and dedication over the last year to make the SVSA the OFSC's most improved club. Dedicated leadership, renewed enthusiasm, and new OFSC guidelines and support can all be accredited with the association's recent success.

Another winner at this years AGM was Karl Sloan, a long time member of the association. His tireless efforts in organizing and working in the trail system have been a tremendous help to the SVSA. At this years AGM, Karl was awarded Club Volunteer and District 1 Volunteer of the Year for Operations. Karl received a leather OFSC hat and CHOKO jacket and gold OFSC watch.

OCTOBER 2002

Showing respect to the many farmers of Canada, District One of the OFSC recently participated in the Hay West campaign. One of our own clubs, Carleton Regional Snowmobile Club, came up with the idea to offer financial support from the clubs in District One to present a cash donation to Hay West. We are proud to report a $3,100 cheque was presented to Wyatt McWilliams of Hay West in Ottawa on October 23rd. The clubs appreciate the support of the landowners in Eastern Ontario for the use of their land for this truly Canadian recreational sport and showed their appreciation by standing side by side with our farm neighbours to lend a hand to the drought stricken west. All funds came from fund raising by the clubs and associations, and we only ask the Alberta farmers to send Snow East.

AUGUST 17, 2002

DISTRICT OPEN HOUSE

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs is for the most part, a volunteer driven organization. District One has recently hired a full time emplooyee to look after administration and fieldwork inquiries for the 33 clubs/associations in the area from Napanee to Calabogie and east to the Ontario Quebec border. This represents 5000 km of marked groomed trails. District One sells over 10,000 trail permits annually to families in Eastern Ontario.

They have opened an easily accessible office in the Morrisburg plaza to help serve District One. Their office located at 141 Main Street and is shared with the SDEDC, MP Bob Kilger, and MPP John Cleary, all of whom shared in the day to welcome the official opening of the OFSC office.

Bruce Robinson, Governor for OFSC District One, explained the purpose of the office. They first hired John Boals to help with the administration and field work of District One, who's goals are to improve trail safety, centralize administration, and promote tourism.