If you are into snowmobiling, you’ll know it’s time to buy your permit for the upcoming season. Trail passes are available for sale (and on sale) right now. You can still save some money by buying now. We’ll cover that below. It’s also time to start sourcing some snowmobiling gear. Our kids outgrew their snowmobile floatation suits, which isn’t the easiest gear to replace right now. That’s why this post comes up so early. But it comes with a question – is snowmobiling in trouble? Things are changing and not in a good way.
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Let’s Start With the Permit
Other provinces will be similar, but we’ll speak to Ontario as that’s the home of BushLife. The government mandates that all sledders on its trail system purchase a snowmobile trail permit. It’s law. The permitting process is controlled by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, OFSC for short, and they determine the fees. It’s the mothership of 183-member snowmobile clubs across the province of Ontario.
Here’s a Table of the Permit Fees for the 2024 Ontario Snowmobile Season:
| Date of Purchase | Fee |
|---|---|
| Oct 1 – Nov 1 | $214 |
| Nov 2 – Dec 1 | $244 |
| Dec 2 Onwards | $294 |
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had the pleasure of acquiring a sled around Christmas. The unlucky part was timing, as I was forced to pay the top-tier trail pass fees. My problem with these trail fees is that the snowmobile trails weren’t open yet! All trails were still red and closed for lack of snow. In other words, my usage of the trails was the same as anyone else but not the fees.
If someone were to buy their OFSC trail permit in early February for whatever reason, they would pay the maximum after losing half the season. I’m all ears if someone from the OFSC can explain how this makes sense.
These fees grant access to a snowmobiling trail network – a network that costs money to maintain. No one will ever argue the fact that fees need to be paid. But, the charge should be fair and equal. What they are doing is shady. It even feels like a shakedown to grab your money upfront, backed by the muscle of the government. Let me explain.
The only possible explanation why the big push for funds upfront would be to cover a bad winter. Ie. the weather conditions create a crappy season, and people don’t want to buy in. But in that case, they won’t be working on the trails as much, which means not incurring all the usual expenses on things such as grooming. In other words, they wouldn’t be able to justify their fees. Proof of that was in the first year of lockdowns when OFSC did not want to issue refunds should the trials get a no-go status from the government.
Further Reading: Introduction to Snowmobiling and Routine Maintenance Tips
Snowmobiling Costs Are Steep
Do you remember when automobile stickers cost $60? Before the Ford government scrapped them, those stickers ran $110, if I recall correctly. That grants you access to roads EVERYWHERE, not just in Ontario. Having a legal plate in Ontario means you’re good to go in Florida. It also grants you 24/7 access 365 days a year.
Snowmobiling, assuming the maximum permit price of $294, is valid for Ontario. For two months! Let’s face it, the majority of the population lives in southern Ontario. We often miss even a part of January if the lakes don’t freeze up fast enough or the deeper snows don’t build on the trails. By mid-March, it’s heading in the opposite direction and starts to get dicey.
Multiply this for your husband or wife’s machine and add one more, as the kid doesn’t want to ride with mom or dad anymore. Then add your insurance, gas, maintenance, clothing and so on, and you’ll find that the cost of sledding vs the short time frame starts to become very prohibitive. If not a luxury. Then couple that with a bad economy and it’s not hard to forecast numbers drastically going down. Instead of focusing on accessibility and sustainability, the OFSC raised their fees this year.
Further Costs
We have only talked about snowmobile permits at this point. Add insurance as another big one. Plus, the addition of several other costs and gear needed for snowmobiling, especially for the new sledder.
Further Reading: F.A.S.T. Snowmobile Suits: Powerful Gear You Need to Know About
Back to Permits and Where Does the Money Go?
There is a split between the OFSC and its member snowmobiling clubs. The money that goes to the clubs is what you see in terms of running the groomers and so on. I can’t find that split defined anywhere online. One would assume when the government MANDATES these trial permits and through a private body, some transparency would be loud and clear. Not to mention easily found on their site. If I were in charge, I would have a big badge on the home page that says, “Proudly xx% of your dollars goes right back into the trails.” So what are they hiding?
There is, however, a proud heading that says there are 6,000 volunteers. I also found a post on the OFSC site that says they sold permits for about 105,000 sleds in 2019. So if we take the middle ground at $230 a trail pass x 105,000 permits, that’s over a whopping 24 million dollars! Backed by an army of 6,000 volunteers, where did that money go, considering they only have 300 groomers to run???
The Unpaid, Paid Service
Last year, a local posted on Facebook that he pegged my lake, and the snowmobile trail is officially open. Other lakers then asked how thick is the ice. His answer, I don’t know. Seriously???
Classic knowledge of the trails is when you see the lake staked – the ice is deemed safe. That means it’s been checked thoroughly, which is not necessarily the case anymore. The snowmobile club didn’t do their job, the most crucial job in my mind. And if they did, but this guy doesn’t even know what’s going on, what chances do I or other members have of getting any updates?
The man who posted proceeded to say his job was to stake the lake. And in doing so, he volunteered his ATV, gas and time. Don’t get me wrong, it is greatly appreciated. Nor is anyone blaming him for the lack of thickness checks or status updates. But, sadly, my money went somewhere for this very purpose, and we didn’t even cut this guy $10 to cover his gas. I think volunteering is great, but it shouldn’t cost someone money to do so – at least not when we are paying for this very service only to have it delivered on someone else’s dime.
We Are Losing Trails!!
I don’t recall if it was last year or the year before, but the OFSC seemed to be emailing constantly to stay on the trails and off private property. Many may not know that the over 30,000 kilometres of trails in Ontario cut through a lot of private property! When disrespectful jerks tear up said property, it doesn’t take long for an upset owner to shut it down, which is happening more and more. I see it firsthand, as we’ve lost very popular trails locally. All it takes is one owner to shut down their portion of the trail, and a long run becomes a dead end.
Shift In Population
This change, however, is also being driven by a major shift in population. As the older folks get either sick or too tired to live the rural life, they head back to the city to seek an easier life. The doctors, meds and groceries are closer, which is perfectly normal. But, it’s happening on mass thanks to the boomers coming of age.
Sadly, as the boomer generation moves on, dying with them is the old-school country mentality. You know what I mean when I use words like hospitality, sharing and respect. The folks from the city who seek country life (recently in droves thanks to the pandemic) are not of that same sharing mindset. That means a lot of land changed hands at a very premium price. Many new owners aren’t keen on having sleds cut through the land they just paid a fortune for. What they want is a little bit of peace in their country getaway. For what it’s worth, we need to understand them as well.
One way or another, with land changes, there always comes an attitude change. This generational shift is outside of the OFSC’s control, and everyone else’s, for that matter. I see it as a big problem – even if all the sledders behave themselves.
Further Reading: Heated Gloves: A Massively Easy Way To Beat Frozen Fingers
New Sledders
Compound all of the above with one final fact. There were a lot of new sledders out there. Every outdoor activity or sport desperately exploded during the pandemic. More people than ever bought land and moved, while others who were always close to the cottage stayed and spent the winter. And so on.
It introduced a lot of new sledders, and without blaming them, they may not know the etiquette. A more likely issue is that when sledding on a trail in the middle of a forest, it’s often hard to tell when land just switched from public to private. Ie. It’s time to stay on the trail and OFF someone’s land! It takes a while to learn the ropes and the terrain.
We Need a Better Vision
The OFSC was right. We have a legitimate issue hence, make sure to stay on the trial – got it! What I didn’t appreciate was how they went about it. Constant emails were coming in screaming, demanding compliance.
First of all, one would assume that a person who buys a trail pass intends to obey the law and regulations! In other words, they might be barking up the wrong tree. Compound that with the fact that if someone opts to stay on the mailing list, they are a genuine sledder and already know and abide by the rules. Perhaps a multi-media, multi-platform education campaign would work much better. The OFSC would need to spend some money to do that, and it’s not as easy nor FREE as blasting your email list. But that would be in the true interests of preserving sledding, wouldn’t it?
Second, when you unleash your furry on people, the usual response is pushback. Quite honestly, I’ve never gone off the trails nor trespassed. EVER. And I paid my dues to a group that hasn’t done much for me. Now, when you harass me because that’s pretty much what they did, over something I didn’t do, it doesn’t sit well.
Lackluster Clubs
When my family started sledding, our local snowmobiling club had a website from the ’90s. I’d be shocked if anything was updated in the last decade. Their Facebook was pretty much dead. In other words, they did nothing to stay in touch with their members or to communicate things like trail or groomer status. There are pretty much no events, no clubhouse, nothing. We do have a parking lot at a trailhead, probably acquired in 1960, and that’s about it. I’m sorry, but you can’t even call that a club.
If money is an issue, they’re no excuse either. Take the Girl Guides, for example. When little girls can go door to door and sell cookies like heroes, what are these clubs doing? The Bancroft Fish and Game Association is something to look up to. They lost power to their barn and faced a $10,000 bill to reconnect it. They got off their ass and hosted several events, including a barn sale of donated items and time. Money is something every organization needs to RAISE and earn, not just depend on whatever handouts come your way.
In my club’s defence, there are finally some postings on the OFSC club section and Facebook. Hopefully, they are figuring out the importance of these things.
A Generational Shift
Sledding may be going through what other things are. The older generation is fading. They don’t want change, aren’t technologically savvy and can’t stay in touch. They probably blame the young generation for not coming to the table to help – which is hard to do when you don’t communicate with them nor cater to their interests, which are vastly different than yours.
Case in point, I’m in my forties and would love to donate a day or two to help clear trails pre-season. But no one asked, nor are club members the easiest people to find to offer assistance. What would give me the warmth and fuzzies is knowing other younger folks are doing their part as well. For this, you need to organize dates and do this AS A CLUB!
As to the younger crowd, yes, you work, have kids, and life is busy. I get your excuses, as they are real. But please don’t expect 60-70-year-olds to clear the trails for you so you have a nice cushiony ride on the weekend. So donate a day or stop every so often and remove a downed tree instead of finding the easiest way to go around it! Whenever I can, this is how I contribute.
We need to bridge the gap between the old and the young – both sides need to work together and foster a positive next generation of sledders.
Changing Weather Can Bring Sledding to a Grinding Halt
First, the scientists screamed, “global warming,” and that went on for many years. When seasonal record-cold temperatures hit, I don’t believe the science changed, but the marketing did. Now it’s “climate change” as the new catchphrase or moniker, and it’s great because regardless of what the weather does, we have something to call it without the need for any science whatsoever.
I’m just not a big believer in all the hype in light of the big business climate change has become. One of a million examples is when all kinds of new environmental taxes come in at the very same time municipalities stopped recycling foam or foiled chip bags because “it’s too expensive.” Think about that for a second.
Wait for It…
I live a country lifestyle with a lot smaller footprint than the millions of people in the cities! I also love nature – and these people are generally far more environmentally conscious in their actions than others. Myself included. I’m not here to disagree with the pro-climate change folks.
A huge point to all of this is, there’s a massive political war going on right now over the environment, globally. It’s become an enormous distraction. People have become more divided and ready to argue and cancel each other instead of trying to work with each other to find common ground. Even today, I can’t talk about changing weather without addressing the elephant in the room, which is “climate change” as someone, somewhere won’t be happy about it. The truth is, some believe in it, some don’t, and then some are in between – and you are all right because you are entitled to your own opinion.
Electric Everything
I’m on board with all of us living even greener, I think everyone is. In this day and age, who wouldn’t be? I just believe that in a free market, instead of banning gasoline vehicles, why don’t you come up with electric ones that are better, cheaper and drive farther? I was once a franchisor running 100 restaurants, and I learned through experience that if you present great solutions to real problems, the outcome is always exactly what you want. Get people to say where do I sign up? And, they’ll do it with a big smile on their face. The other lesson I learned is that when you introduce big changes, you need to be realistic about the time frame it takes to get things done.
You’ll notice I used electric cars as an example of climate change compromise – that’s not by accident. Let’s understand one thing right here and now: electric sleds are coming, whether you like it or not! At first, it will be by choice and one day, it won’t. Let’s keep this on the back of our minds, as there are bigger things to worry about now.
Further Reading: 5 Strong Reasons Why You Need Safety Ice Picks
Back to Weather and Sledding
Here’s the thing – whether you believe in climate change or not, it DOES NOT matter in the context of this post. There is something we can all agree on: Weather patterns have changed! Southern Ontario winters just aren’t what they used to be. It comes in later, and the volume of snow is often nowhere near what it used to be. That means the reliable, and let’s stress reliable amount of sledding days aren’t what they used to be. That’s yet another major challenge to the sport of sledding – and a big factor in asking is snowmobiling in trouble.
Late January Update. Bad News, Really Bad!!!
The OFSC has an online trail map guide (also available as a mobile app), which every sledder is supposed to check before heading out. Red means the trail is not ready, and you are NOT welcome to use it.
I originally wrote this post on November 7th, 2022. Ie. Pre-season, where we talk about weather potentially ruining a sledding season. Being almost the end of January 2023, and that prediction is a reality. Nowhere in Ontario’s vast cottage country is anyone using snowmobile trails, let alone anyplace more southern where the majority of the population lives. You would need to head up to Sudbury to find a patch that resembles “somewhat” of a typical sledding year. We would need a lot more snow and fast to turn things around.
The ice is also thin this year, meaning the thaw will happen much faster in March or April. When the frozen waterways connecting all these trails become unsafe, the trails are no longer viable. All of this begs the question, what will be left of this snowmobiling season? A season that so far provided, well, nothing but lost fees.
Is Snowmobiling in Trouble?
Hopefully, the post doesn’t come across as a rant because it’s not. These are all real issues, and we love snowmobiling. We also highly wish to stress that we appreciate the clean trails after the groomer has made its rounds, and we fully appreciate the work from all the clubs. We know what it takes to clean up trails from all the dead trees that fall on them. That’s never in question.
With these more significant issues and the way things are heading, the snowmobiling industry needs an overhaul. And fast to keep things working in this new era of sledding.
We would love to hear your feedback. Is snowmobiling in trouble? Tell us below by leaving a comment, and if you think this is important, don’t forget to share.
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