North Bay City Council votes to increase access for snowmobiles
It might be summertime, but North Bay City Council is already looking ahead to the snowmobile season.
City council voted unanimously to update the motorized snow vehicle bylaw by the time the next season starts.
By the time winter rolls around, you’ll see a lot more snowmobiles accessing city amenities like hotels, restaurants, and gas stations in an attempt to boost tourism.
"It’s certainly a big winter tourism driver for us," City Councillor Dave Mendicino said. "From an economic standpoint, these individuals drop a lot of money into our area and region."
Both the North Bay and South Shore Restoule snowmobile clubs asked for revisions almost two years ago.
"We are really happy. I’m pleased with what we’ve accomplished with the team and with the city helping us do this," said South Shore Restoule Snowmobile Club President Diane Tregunna.
Council also approved the set fines for anyone who does not follow the bylaw. The fines for the majority of offences will be raised from the $90 fee set out in 1995 to $200.
"We wanted to try to find that balance for safety. That’s certainly top of mind for city staff and the snowmobile clubs quite frankly," Mendicino said. "We want everyone to be safe."
The snowmobile clubs are asking for $15,000 in funding to build, maintain, and groom the access trails to the businesses and erect signage plus $40,000 in funding to purchase new equipment.
"We’re trying to get funding from other organizations and other grants before asking the city," Tregunna said.
Mendicino is hopeful the snowmobile clubs might receive their requested funding through Tourism North Bay.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.