By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Source: The Chronicle-Journal
Northwestern Ontario sledders could have access to 840 kilometres of additional groomed snowmobile trails this season following a plan to “restore” routes that had been abandoned due to a lack of funds.
The restored routes were included on Thursday when Ontario’s transportation ministry announced a broader $3.9-million boost to reopen 4,500 kilometres of snowmobile trails across the province.
The funds came as a relief to trail-network volunteers who feel “optimistic about the future of the trails they have worked so hard on,” Thunder Bay Adventure Trails Snowmobile Club president Adrian Tessier said in a provincial news release.
The cash injection was a response to an earlier decision by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) to reduce its provincial trail network by 5,000 kilometres as a cost-saving measure.
“We heard the concerns from riders and the OFSC, and we took action,” said transportation ministry parliamentary assistant Ric Bresee, a Kingston-area MPP.
Sledders who ride in Ontario have access to 30,000 kilometres of groomed trail when there’s enough snow.
Thunder Bay Adventure Trails maintains over 300 kilometres of groomed trail.
“Starting from Kakabeka Falls, you can reach Gravel Lakes, Shabaqua and Silver Mountain,” the association website says.
“From these trails you can head west, connecting to seven other clubs in the district as well as reaching the Manitoba border.”
