Timmins ATV Club works to sell more memberships to fund more trails
The Timmins ATV Club is having a slow but successful season so far since introducing limited street access for off-road vehicles.
The club’s president said it's working to build more local ATV trails, but is noticing that some riders are not purchasing permits, which help cover the club’s costs.
The Timmins ATV Club is having a slow but successful season so far since introducing limited street access for off-road vehicles. (Photo from video)
Club officials said volunteers have been hard at work developing and expanding the city’s off-road trail system. Riders have been enjoying being able to ride from their home to the trail on some west-end streets.
President Rick Marin said, for the most part, introducing 'rules of the road' for off-roaders has more people following the law.
"It's been great," Marin said.
"Actually, not too many complaints, but there's, the complaints about trail permits from Timmins police."
Marin said some riders haven’t yet realized they need an official permit from the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs as a condition for street access.
Some confusion
Off-roaders do not currently need a permit when trailering their vehicle to the trails directly, which may be causing some confusion.
"If you want to leave from your house to the trails, you need a permit," he said.
"Also, to follow the 20-km-an-hour bylaw … 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. is also the curfew."
Timmins police couldn't provide data on ATV-related issues by deadline, but Marin said riders just need more education.
Permit sales help support clubs in making trails and holding events.
Marin said his club currently has more than 300 annual permit-holding members, adding up to more than $40,000 in revenue, not including daily and weekend passes.
Up to three-quarters of that goes directly to the club.
"The more permits that we sell, the more fees we can open, the more trails we can open, and so on, so forth," Marin said.
"We are currently working on more trails towards South End, towards the city, Schumacher area and South End. So, to connect (them)."
And he said it’s all being done with limited resources.
"Timmins is big," Marin said.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"We’re one of the biggest OFATV cities, actually, in Ontario. So, it's like I said, we need more volunteers. We need, we need a lot more people.”
He said volunteers are especially needed for an upcoming Mud Fest on Aug. 3 and 4, plus the club is planning group rides this fall.
As things progress, Marin said the hope is to eventually connect the entire area with trails that can take off-roaders as far as possible in any direction and easily connect tourists to the city.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.