District 1 Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Eastern Ontario

Media Releases for winter of 2005

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Dec.22, 2005

AND THE WINNER IS......

On Dec. 22, 2005 the winning ticket for the "HIS AND HER" YAMAHA RS VECTOR SNOWMOBILES (valued at $19,000) was drawn at 7:00pm at 141 Main Street, Morrisburg, ON. The lucky winner was Ms.Rollie Mantha of Cumberland, ON. She purchased her ticket from the Carleton-Regional Snowmobile Club and was flabbergasted to find out that she was that lucky winner. To think that she only bought 1 ticket out of the 9,700, lady lucky was on her side. At the age of 82, Ms.Mantha has never before been on a snowmobile and was eager to try out her new sleds with her family. Her nephew, Marcel Mantha, is the president of the Carleton-Regional Snowmobile Club and has tried to get her out on the trails. Her nephew has always been eager for her to discover the great trails, breathtaking scenery, serenity and camaraderie which exist in the sport of snowmobiling.

Now, Ms. Mantha shares in his excitement and looks forward to the next great snow fall. She has even shared in her fortune by giving her winnings to her family. After all, snowmobiling is a lifestyle and what dictates a great lifestyle more than sharing the experience with your family.

The proceeds from this lottery will be used to maintain and groom snowmobile trails, and towards the safety programs. The lottery license number is #M49768.

Pictured above: John Boals, District 1 Snowmobile Association Manager, dropped-off the 2005 Yamaha Sleds to Ms. Rollie Mantha of Cumberland,ON.

October 2005

Morrisburg, ON- Mr. John Boals, Manager of the OFSC District 1 Snowmobile Association is pleased to announce that, with the cooperation with the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC), a youth intern was hired to increase snowmobile awareness. Mrs. Lynsey Eikelboom of Chesterville has accepted this new position as Program Coordinator.

Along with experience and expertise with the public, Mrs.Eikelboom brings an impressive list of skills and credentials in the areas of customer service, business development and communications. Lynsey is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.

When asked for details about the work itself, Mr. Boals commented that she will be developing the content for a snowmobile-friendly publication and will be building a working relationship with local businesses, local community and the snowmobile clubs' volunteers. We plan to present the information to local township meetings' as well as at local Chamber of Commerce meetings.

We wish to thank our partners at SD&G CFDC for the opportunity to raise snowmobile awareness among our communities and enabling the community to view the advantage of retaining well-educated youth living in the SD&G Region.
Mr. Boals emphasized that without their support, this project would have been very difficult to accomplish.

November 20th, 2005

Recognition and Reward : A Great Big Thank You!

On October 20th, 2005, at our District 1 volunteers of the year award night almost 100 district club volunteers were recognized for their contributions and devotion to the sport. The men were awarded VIA leather hats and the women were awarded broaches for their hard work and dedication. Other volunteers were recognized with a 30-year certificate of achievement in volunteer service.

District 1 Volunteer of the Year: Glen Bandy!

This definition pales in comparison to the dedication, commitment, and support that Glen Bandy has provided to the Calabogie and District Snowmobile Club over the past 37 years. At 81 years of age, Glen continues to actively support the club in the capacity of groomer operator, trail director, and senior club advisor. Activities include trail signage, trail maintenance, and groomer maintenance and repair.

In the mid to late 1960s organized snowmobiling was in it's infancy in Ontario. Glen initially became involved in snowmobiling with the Arnprior Snowmobile Club in 1968. During the early to mid-eighties the Arnprior Club merged with the Calabogie Club to form the Calabogie and District Snowmobile Club.

The increase in snowmobile sales sky rocketed in the 70s, this meant expansion of the existing trail network. Glen was an integral leader in the development and construction of the OFSC TOP E Trail from White Lake to Calabogie. It took months of hard work by a team of volunteers to push the new 15km trail through to Calabogie. Today snowmobiliers who frequent the area enjoy the benefits of that hard work.

Upon completion of the new trail to Calabogie, the club required the grooming equipment to maintain the increased trail presence. Glen's level of commitment to organized snowmobiling is displayed through his actions. In 1972 the club had limited monetary resources to purchase a groomer; Glen took the initiative and purchased the clubs first groomer(s). Today Glen operates a 1999 Bombardier BR180.

It is evident that Glen's passion for snowmobiling still burns strong. He sets an example for the younger generation in our club to aspire to. The Calabogie and District Snowmobile Club will never be able to thank Glen enough for his time, dedication, support and loyalty that he has given to the club. Our club views Glen as one of the pioneer builders of our local trail system, as well as a major contributor to the expansion of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs' Trail Network.

Shown from L to R are Liz Robinson (VIA Co-Chair), Greg Wells ( C.D.S.C. President), Glen Bandy, Bruce Robinson (VIA Chair), Maureen Fenlong (District 1 VIA Coordinator).

June 24, 2005

District 1 Big Winner at International Snowmobile Congress

(Salt Lake City, UT)- OFSC District 1 found itself the recipient of 2 awards from the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO). The CCSO held its annual recognition gala during the International Snowmobile Congress on June 3rd to honour organizations and individuals for their contributions to organized snowmobiling in Canada.

District 1 was nominated by the OFSC in two categories; Outstanding Snowmobile Tourism and Development; and Outstanding Snowmobile Promotion and Development of Snowmobiling. To the delight of Bruce Robinson, D1 Governor, they walked away with the trophies in both classes. "We started out with some ideas, and the clubs ran with them. Our volunteers did a fantastic job with the new trail signage program, and the HRSDC project really helped move things along," explained Bruce, who attends the congress every year. He added, "This is really special, as its the first time anyone or any organization from District 1 has been recognized at this event."

The CCSO membership is made up of the Canadian provincial and territorial snowmobile organizations such as the OFSC and is headquartered in Riverview, New Brunswick. For more information, please visit www.ccso-ccom.ca

Shown from l to r are D1 Governor, Bruce Robinson and D1 VIA Co-Chair, Liz Robinson accepting one of their two awards from CCSO President, Murray MacPherson at the ISC held in Salt Lake City last June.

April 16, 2005

Districts 1 and 6 Welcome OFSC Execs

(Arnprior, ON)- The 2005 series of stakeholders meetings was kicked off today as OFSC president, Dennis Burns, GM, Paul Shaughnessy and Secretary-Treasurer Brenda Welsh traveled here to collect input from the 35 or so execs from the two Eastern Ontario Districts. The summer-like weather reflected the positive mood of all participants as topics ranging from trail Funding to Organizational Performance were discussed at the local Quality Inn. The half-day session, deemed to be very productive, ended sweetly as Snow Road S.C., Mary Kirkham presented all 3 OFSC representatives with 500 ml of world-famous pure Lanark Maple Syrup. Perhaps this will entice them to come and ride in District 1 next winter.

After the trio left for their next meeting in Thunder Bay the following morning, the attendees broke into their respective districts to continue with policymaking and planning. Among other topics, District 1 members discussed volunteering; maps and signage; and club insurance. The busy day wound down at about 3 pm as many members had a long drive home.

Each of the 17 districts will get a chance to participate in similar meetings over the next 3 weekends before the final round in Arthur on April 30th when Districts 4,5,8 and 9 will attend.

OFSC President, Dennis Burns on the left poses with Sec.-Treasurer, Brenda Welsh, OFSC GM, Paul Shaughnessy and Bruce Robinson, Governor of District 1 S.A. In front of them is one of the Yamaha Vectors used to GPS the TOP Trails in District 1

March 21, 2005

District 1 goes on Spring Break

(Ottawa, ON)- Manager John Boals and other representatives from District 1 attended the Manufacturers Spring Break in Ottawa on Sunday. All four snowmobile manufacturers hosted the event to showcase their wares. Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha displayed their sleds for the 2000 people who attended.

The District 1 booth space was supplied by D'Arcy Ch�nier of BRP Ski -Doo - the #1 manufacturer of snowmobiles. To promote awareness of the clubs and volunteers in District 1, two signs bearing the names of all the clubs were displayed under the headline "The Clubs that Make it Happen". Wearing matching blue golf shirts, John and his crew handed out the district map, the tour loop brochure and information on Volunteers in Action. A new banner - designed by the JCP participants, featuring District 1's partners was displayed in the booth.

A draw was held for 4 Ontario Snowmobilers Edition Trivia Games. Winners were chosen randomly after people filled out a quick questionnaire. The questions asked were: have you been snowmobiling in Ontario?, Are you planning to visit Ontario this winter - and for how many days? And Have you experienced the trails in Quebec?. The form was developed earlier in the year by the JCP participants to help gather some information on the riding habits of snowmobilers.

If the turnout is a sign of next year's participation in the sport we are in for a great 2006 season! The show was fantastic way to wrap up the 2005 snowmobile season.

For more information on the four manufacturers please go to their websites:

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Feb 7, 2005

District 1 Featured in 2 TV Reports

(Ottawa, ON)- Following on the heels of an appearance on [email protected] show, District 1 was the focus of 2 separate TV segments produced by Rogers Cable (Ottawa) and CTV affiliate, CJOH. On January 22nd, Melanie Couture and Cameraman Christian Charbonneau spent the afternoon, braving -24 C temperature, plying the trails near Chez Philias with D1 manager John Boals, Eastern Ontario S.C. president, Pascal Roy and Carleton Regional S.C. president, Marcel Mantha. Later, on February 4th, well-known sportcaster Terry Marcotte, and cameraman Jim enjoyed a beautiful sunny day with John and about other 40 sledders at the Sand Road Sugar Camp.

The resounding common opinion offered by both reporters is their impression of how developed and organized the sport is. Melanie, a first-timer could not believe how warm she stayed in her Choko gear in spite of the bitter cold. Terry, though he'd ridden before, really enjoyed the camaraderie that developed among the all the riders, many of whom were teenagers (school was out that day!) Though the reports were obviously centred on snowmobiling, they had different themes. While the Rogers reporter concentrated on club activities and the District as a whole, the CJOH story was more about the lifestyle of family snowmobiling.

Air times and dates have not yet been confirmed.

District 1 Manager, John Boals, on the left, being interviewed by CJOH personality Terry Marcotte in preparation for an upcoming feature on snowmobile lifesyle to be aired on the 6:00 news

Cameraman Chris Charbonneau and reporter Melanie Couture from Roger Cable pose in front of the District 1 banner between takes at a recent shoot at Chez Philias in Hammond.

Jan 31, 2005

District 1 Hosts "Snowmobile Experience Day"

(Morrisburg, ON)- On January 28, JCP partners, members of federal and provincial governments and local media attended District 1's first Snowmobile Experience Day. The event was held to provide insight to non-sledders about the snowmobiling lifestyle, and to demonstrate the progress of the JCP program.

Guests were treated to lunch, a brief presentation and a short speech by District 1 governor, Bruce Robinson. After this they suited up and rode from the McIntosh Inn to the Riverside clubhouse on new Yamaha Vector snowmobiles with John Boals, District 1 Manager, leading the pack. Notably present were Guy Lauzon, M.P. for Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry and Jim Brownell, M.P.P. for Stormont, Dundas and Charlottenburgh. Both Mr. Lauzon and Mr. Brownell had a good time, judging by their smiles when they returned. Later, Mr. Brownell, a first-time sledder commented, "I can definitely see the appeal of snowmobiling."

The day was a great success, aided in no small part by support from partners such as Tom Irwin of Irwin's Supply, the ladies from Shane Signs and a group of volunteers who were on hand with their snowmobiles.

(l to r) MP Guy Lauzon, D1 manager John Boals, MPP Jim Brownell and D1 governor Bruce Robinson

Not only the politicians get to have a good time. Here we see four reporters from local media saddling up for the ride.