Quad Riders Association of British Columbia

This will be a brief update of the activities of ATVBC from the 2005 AGM until the beginning of February
 

In a large Province such as ours, outdoor activities depend greatly on where you live. So, while the lower mainland area, Vancouver Island and parts of the Okanagan have the weather appropriate to quading year round, the rest of the province slumbers under the snow or like many ATV riders, they simply switch over to the sleds. However, many clubs go into the winter shut-down period which makes interaction with them difficult.

Once, we had washed the mud of Pouce Coupe off of the machines – boy was that a job – all Directors settled into their activities. Each Director has general responsibilities with ATVBC but also specific responsibilities depending on their location, special interest and abilities.

So what has been happening with ATVBC lately? Memberships processing has been a hot item with numerous complaints re the delay in this procedure. The problem is in part due to the intricacies of the process with its intertwining with the insurance. A major problem has always been mistakes made in completing the application form. As these memberships are batched by the club, if there are any errors then the whole batch is compromised otherwise it will not balance with the numbers or with the money deposited and the distribution of those funds. The Directors have been working on a solution. Part of that will be a newly designed form that will be smaller and easier to complete without error. Sample form completions will be provided to all clubs. Processing of web based memberships and memberships purchased directly through Capri will now have turn around time of one week. Our goal is definitely to have a fast and error free membership process in place for 2006.

A major milestone has been the final report of the ORV Coalition. This report was presented to the Provincial Government on January 19th. A release on this was sent to all clubs and is on the web site. Go to www.atvbc.ca and click on “ORVCoalition document now in hands of Government”. This contains all the links necessary for you to be informed on this very important issue for off road owners.

Planning for the 2006 ATVBC Poker Ride to be held at Logan Lake on June 23 – 25th is well under way. Major prizes have been acquired and the poster is being distributed. This was a great event last year for all members of the family and will be even better this year. CoChairs are Bev Felske and Walter Levick. Committee heads are all in place and more details will be available both by e-mail to all clubs but especially on our web site.

The AGM and Jamboree are in Campbell River this year, hosted by the Campbell River ATV Club. Exciting rides are planned as well as social activities. The AGM will also take place and it is hoped that there will be a good attendance for this. Registration forms are not yet available but the Club has advised us that they will be made available shortly. The delay is in negotiations Mt. Washington to finalize some items. Again stay tuned to e-mails and web site.

The web site is constantly being updated and new material added. On it right nowyou will find preliminary information for the Poker Ride and Jamboree/AGM, stories re club activities, resource information re building bridges and trail development, full rosters for Directors and Clubs and several other items. This is complimented by e-mail information to Clubs and the newsletter included with RidersWest magazine.

Other items we are following are:
Proposed area and road closures are an ongoing item of vital interest to all off road vehicle users and we are trying to stay on top of these and consulting with the parties involved. These items are vital to our freedom to enjoy the sport.
Contact with Clubs by Directors to keep them informed and answer any questions.
Insurance program for 2006-2007. Attending Trade and Sports Shows to publicize ATVBC, to help aspiring ATV owners and simply spread the word.

ATVBC has been lobbying the Government to rescind the coloured gas restrictions for ATV users.
The Ministry of Small Business and Revenue issued a Notice effective February 22nd stating that authorized users of coloured fuel will now include all motor vehicles not licensed to operate on a highway. Thus, this now includes all unlicensed snowmobiles and ATVs that are used off highway. It has long been argued that an ATV is not an on highway vehicle and the coloured gas restrictions should not apply. See www.rev.gov.bc.ca for the full release.

ATVBC has played a significant role in lobbying the Government on this issue and is pleased with the successful outcome which will see a large amount of money saved on gas purchases. It is estimated that $14 million a year is collected from all ORV users. For an individual ATRV rider, for every fill of 10 litres you should save 15¢ per litre or $1.50 a fill up . Now multiply that by the number of times you filled your tank last year and there is your annual savings.

One benefit of ATV/BC membership is a subscription to RidersWest magazine, 2 issues a year and SnoRiders 3 issues a year. Included in those 4 times a year is the ATV/BC Newsletter, this being the first of 2006. However, did you know that there is also an eNewsletter once a month from RidersWest/SnoRider magazines? Subscription is free but you have to apply by going to this website www.riderswestmag.com. This contains a variety of information and articles. This month they sent this to 5680 subscribers!

This is the first of what is intended to be a regular item on our web site and newsletters. Comments are welcome and can be sent to atvbc@telus.net.