After years of planning, Timmins ATVs allowed on some city streets
Off-road riders in Timmins are rejoicing this week after city council voted to allow them access to some streets in the city’s west end.
After years of planning, the Timmins ATV Club calls the decision a major step forward for local outdoor tourism.
“Very, very excited,” said club president Rick Marin.
Five years in the making, Marin said he got emotional when city council voted to finally allow off-roaders on the road.
“We’re finally going to have tourism in this town, and we’ll be able to leave our home and go to a restaurant, here in town, and gas.”
The permanent street-access bylaw will apply only to some roads in the city’s west end, allowing for connection to sanctioned ATV trails.
Rules include a maximum speed of 20 km/h and a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.
This is the club’s third attempt at convincing council to allow them to use some city roads to access trails.
Coun. Rock Whissell said the difference was the club now has official trails.
“I think having those official trails, now, is easy for city council — or for Ward 1, anyway — to give them permission to use the roads, to get to the trails,” Whissell said.
Did everything right
Marin said the club worked hard to do everything right.
“We followed all the rules, we got OFATV permits, we got trails, we got apps,” he said.
“We got support -- we have landowner support. We have a lot of support in this town.”
Officials are expecting interest from riders in Timmins and beyond.
“For somebody to leave from Kapuskasing, Hearst or Cochrane … they could come drive with their ATVs, stay overnight and go back home,” Whissell said.
“I think this is a positive thing for the community.”
Street access will only be in available during the regular ATV season from May 1-Oct. 31.
The Timmins Police Service has said it doesn’t support the idea, and so Whissell said it will be up to the off-roading community to prove it wrong.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“Doing it responsibly is the biggest thing,” he said.
“To make sure that this is not going to fall apart and that we’re not going to have to go back on our word, here.”
“Please, buy a pass, support, support,” Marin added.
“Do it right, follow the rules and regulations. We got this, we got this.”
Data and feedback will be collected throughout the ATV season, after which council will decide whether to expand street access to more parts of the city.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
One dead, 26 wounded in overnight shooting in Ohio: reports
A shooting on a street in Akron, Ohio, killed one man and wounded 26 other people early Sunday morning, according to reports by local news outlets.
Ambassador says interactions with Russia 'quite limited' but 'not unfriendly'
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
South Korea vows 'unbearable' retaliation against North Korea over its launch of trash balloons
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks off commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day
Parachutists jumping from Second World War-era planes hurled themselves Sunday into now peaceful Normandy skies where war once raged, heralding a week of ceremonies for the fast-disappearing generation of Allied troops who fought from D-Day beaches 80 years ago.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months