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January 2008

Summary of 2007

Here is a summary of what has happened with ATV/BC since May of this year. Under the direction of the Board of Directors and with their full involvement, the following programs have been put into place.

by MOIRA JAATTEENMAKI

Happy New Year to all. Only about 4 months for most of us before we can go riding again! No new ATVs under our tree but new helmets and safety gear for the grandchildren.

Let’s start this newsletter with the following which was prepared by Terry Wardrop, Land Issues and Communications Coordinator in response to a question by a member.

YEARS SUMMARY

Here is a summary of what has happened with ATV/BC since May of this year. Under the direction of the Board of Directors and with their full involvement, the following programs have been put into place.

As with any programs foundations have to established, upon which one can build. The emphasis this year has been to establish that base.

Government Negotiations

We are in the process of negotiating a MoU regarding Management of All season ATV Riding with the emphasis on Wildlife Habitat and Ecosystems. This is at the 4th draft and when complete it will give not only ATV/BC credibility, but Quad riders in general, which in turn will assist in dispelling the myths that surround the of the ATV community. Further this agreement gives ATV/BC and their member clubs a seat at the land planning tables to further the sport of ATV’s. The full impact of this MoU is beyond what can be explained here.

Trails

A sound working relationship has been established with Ministry of Tourism Sports and the Arts, Recreation Sites and Trails Division that has enabled us to establish the need for a strong motorized trail program hence the “No Net Loss” approach to negotiations.

Private Land Access Agreement

A private land access agreement is in the final stages of development. Once complete it will allow individual clubs to negotiate access across private land. The level of access will depend upon negotiations. Because of our Liability Insurance policy access will have to be restricted to club events and members but on an individual basis non members can be invited by the club for specific events. Guidelines will be provided outlining how the access agreements will.

Trail Signage Plan

A formal plan is just about ready for submission to Government for approval. This will be the standard for ATV trail signs within the province. A cross section of signs are in the process of being purchased for use by various clubs at no extra charge.

Trail Manual

A trail manual has been written which is designed to assist clubs in the establishment of trails and trail networks. This is a work in progress and will be expanded into Trail Building, Trail Maintenance and Trail Design. Trail Patrol Manual and Program A trail patrol program has been established and a manual produced.

Public Relations

3 new posters have been developed and 3 more are in the works to be completed by December. These deal with safety and protection of the environment. In addition the brochure “Riding Responsibly” has been reprinted and we are in the process of producing 2 new membership brochures and a promotional poster. Finally a trade show video has been produced and will be available at the trade show in Abbotsford in November.

Promotional Trailer

A promotional trailer traveled a portion of the province this year and while it appeared to be selling ATV/BC it helped show that the sport is responsible and is environmentally conscious. This type of promotion gained major points with Government who contributed to the costs of moving it around.

Safety Training

Six new safety instructors were trained and commitments were made by each to train a set number of ATV/BC members within a set time frame on a cost recovery basis. In turn this benefits non members through an increased number of certified instructors. It is planned that this program will continue next year.

Committee Involvement

Aside from the involvement in such groups as the outdoor recreation council and the Licensing and Registration Coalition ATV/BC has been asked to sit on the Provincial Trails Strategy Committee which will set the stage for recreational trails in the years to come.

Club Support

Upon request, support and information gathering has been provided to those clubs who have requested it. This ranges from lobbying on their behalf, to attending meeting or just advice. The main thing to recognize that the association will not usurp the rights of individual clubs unless asked or forced to.

Web Site

The web site has been improved and will continue in the upgrading. There are 4 phases to the program and we are on stage 2. As well for those members who have provided email addresses a distribution list has been developed and various items are sent out directly to them. I would strongly recommend that the site be looked at.

Member Services

With the creation of an office, member services have significantly improved with full time staff. The business of the association has now been put into proper systems and practices. As time progresses, this will continue to improve.

Planning

Strategic planning in now underway, designed to set the course of the association over the next 3 years.

Once complete, business plans will be developed to guide the yearly operations.

As illustrated the Association has been quite active and working in the best interests of both members and non members. But without numbers both active and inactive the voice of the ATV enthusiast can lose its volume and everyone will lose but if the voice gets louder everyone can win.

Grants for 2008

The grant applications for 2008 have been prepared and are in their final stages. As I said in the last newsletter they followed the wishes of our members as to the selection of these programs.

They are:

  1. Renew Lands Issues Coordinator contract
  2. Travel costs for LICC to visit clubs
  3. Renew Promotional Trailer rental, upgrade the decals and cover transportation costs
  4. Marketing/Grants/Fund Raiser- contract for specified objectives
  5. Safety Instructors – train 8 more
  6. Youth Safety School Program-establish such a program by producing a manual, developing a pilot program in a school district and training instructors
Renewal of LICC Contract

Terry Wardrop has agreed to a contract renewal for 2008 and will be returning to his position on March 1st until November 30th. Terry was a tremendous asset to our Association and we are excited to have him return to build on the programs started last year. You will see a lot of Terry this year as we have applied for travel funding from COHV and if that is successful then Terry will do a considerable amount of traveling to meet with clubs all over the Province. Work will also continue on the Trail Manual and the Symposium as well as all the meetings and negotiations with the Government.

Promotional TrailerPromotional TrailerPromotional TrailerPromotional Trailer

While the process of getting the trailer up and running in 2007 was rocky to say the least, we certainly learned form that experience. We are now pleased to announce that we have received an Image Enhancement Grant from the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council which has been approved for the purchase of a trailer. We will now be able to use this trailer year round and the exposure to the public and our members will be considerable. We are now in the process of receiving bids from several dealers.

Safety and Environmental Posters

We were very fortunate to be able to produce 6 posters last year with the grant from COHV. They are very distinctive posters with good messages. They will be distributed to all clubs.

Promotional DVD

A DVD has been professionally produced using pictures sent to the office by our clubs and members. This DVD is about 6 minutes long, is a tour of ATV activities in various locations accompanied by a musical background, has been enthusiastically received by those who have seen it and frankly it is the envy of other associations. It has already been shown at one show and will be at all the others. Clubs will also get a copy.

ATV Trail Blazers Ride for 2008

An information sheet has been e-mailed to all clubs and e-mail accessible members. It is also on the web site. This contains the information as it is available at this point. It should be sufficient to enable you to decide if you interested in participating in this ride and if so to set aside the time for it. E-mail us at atvbc@telus.net if we can further assist. Once the snow goes, our ride leaders will be over the trails confirming routes and other details.

Poker ride 2008

Poker Ride 2008 will be bigger and definitely different. Start your summer off right with the social event of the 2008 riding season! Following on the great success and participation of the previous three ATV/ BC Poker Rides, plans are proceeding forward for the 2008 ride under co-chairs Cal Kaytor and Monika Ferguson.

It will be held on June 20th to 22nd with the actual Poke Ride on June 21st

So what’s different? Well the location will be Princeton not Logan Lake. This is a great location for this event and will offer what took place in the previous years but also some new items. It will be held on the PXA grounds in Princeton. There will be camping available on the grounds, a fire pit for everyone, washrooms and showers, shuttle into town and a concession. At this location, it is now possible to offer a mud pit for those who need their mud fix. Also there is a motorcross track available on the site which the kids can use to burn off all that energy.

The Poker Ride will follow the normal format in that there will be several rides of different lengths and difficulty to choose from, poker hands to be purchased and of course, there will a large amount of prizes with the major prize to be announced shortly. There will be souvenir t-shirts for sale.

Retailers are being invited to set-up displays and offer demo rides.

2007 saw about 400 riders arrive from all over the Province as well as Alberta and Washington State. Organizers are anticipating 600-800 participants this year.

Quads.ca 2nd Annual Trail Clean- up Day, 2008 Several Clubs across the Province took part in the 1st annual trail clean-up in 2007 promoted by quads.ca. We know that many of our clubs have clean-up projects that they conduct every year. We would like to encourage clubs to try to add the 2nd-annual Quads.ca Province-Wide Trail Clean-Up Day on Saturday, September 20, 2008 as an annual project. ATV groups and clubs from around British Columbia will be conducting trail clean-ups in their respective areas. Full information will be forthcoming on www.quads.ca

Events
  • April 26th, 2008
    ATV/BC Open Business Meeting Kamloops
  • April 28th, 2008
    Registration forms available for the Trail Blazers Ride
  • June 21st, 2008
    ATV/BC Poker Ride, Princeton
  • July 15th, 2008
    Registration closes for Trail Blazers Ride
  • August 19-22nd, 2008
    Trail Blazers Ride
  • August 23rd, 2008
    AGM in Revelstoke
  • September 20th, 2008
    Quads.ca 2nd Annual Trail Clean-up day
Safety Instructors

Last year we trained 6 new Safety Instructors and this we plan for 8 more. This has been identified as a major priority by our members. However, more are needed to offer to our members easy and cost efficient access to courses and also to avoid having instructors travel long distances to conduct these courses. We know that there are actually a large number of certified instructors in BC however, all instructors come under the authority of the Canada Safety Council and any attempt to get a list of instructors in BC is refused due to the privacy act. At least 4 attempts have been made to get this list with the same refusal each time.

So – ARE YOU A CERTIFIED CSC SAFETY INSTRUCTOR?

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS?

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN TEACHING COURSES TO ATV/BC MEMBERS?

If so, please contact Dennis Webb at denniskwebb@shaw.ca, ATV/BC Safety Director and he will gladly give you the details of joining our safety program.

Also Dennis has asked me to find out if anyone knows if there is an instructor in the Fraser Valley who can conduct a course and provide the ATVs? Again please contact Dennis if you can assist.