Comment

Comment by Peter Emberley on April 27, 2011 at 5:30pm

Monday May 9, 2011

The Mayor Woodrow French of CBS, is having a meeting with reguards to atv use in the community. The mayor is totaly against atv use.

I think it would be a good idea for as many atv users to be there as possible, to see what Mr French has to say. I am all for working together for safe and responsible use of the trail system.

Peter

Comment by Scott Hudson on April 24, 2011 at 11:52am

Shame on you John, for teasing us east coasters with photos like these. 

Comment by John Smallwood on April 24, 2011 at 11:36am

Easter weekend ride April 23rd

Comment by Shane Pinsent on April 11, 2011 at 9:02am

Comment by Shane Pinsent on April 11, 2011 at 8:57am

April 9,2011

Comment by Shane Pinsent on April 11, 2011 at 8:54am

April 9,2011, Just getting good in the hills, Corner Brook.

Comment by Peter Emberley on April 2, 2011 at 8:08pm

Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation

Dear Editor,

It's that time of the year again where I, along with thousands of others, get ripped off and feel that honesty and obeying the letter of the law are not the best virtues to have. Yes, it's the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation's (NLSF) annual rip-off sale, the Trail Pass Scam.

I have no problem with user pay economics; I have no problem paying for the upkeep of our trail system if it were done in a fair and equitable basis.

I paid my $80 last year for my pass. I travelled 13 km on the trail here in central Newfoundland but did not see a groomer for the entire winter - yet it was used by ATV users for the whole year, dirt bikes for eight to nine months, skiers for four to five months, walkers and joggers for 12 months, and at times automobiles. My two short rides cost me $40 per ride, plus expenses, while the non-snowmobile users used it for free. The question has to be asked: is this fair to snowmobilers? I think not. I would also argue that 95 per cent of the damage to the trail system isn't caused by snowmobiles but other types of vehicles, yet we have to pay 100 per cent of the upkeep.

Once again the NLSF is deceiving its potential customers by not giving enough notice about when the Early Bird prices are going to end; I listen to the radio almost every day and I have heard only one announcement about the Early Bird deadline which prompted me to save $20. Also their deception doesn't stop there, they claim on their ad that the prices for the Trail Passes are $80 for the early bird prices and $100 after November 30 but they failed to let us know that this year it cost an extra $4.52 for administration costs and you don't get a booklet or a trail map with your trail pass. Note: there isn't any mention on the NLSF website about this administration cost.

If I had the financial or legal means to challenge the NLSF's right to charge me for the use of a public owned and at times privately owned trail system plus their deceptive advertising I would do it in a heartbeat but that's not possible. I can only hope that someday someone will and put an end to this injustice.

Due to constraints I must conclude even though I have a lot more to say. Government must act to control the NLSF or have it decertified, if it's accredited in the first place, and put into place an organization that will make it fair to all trail system users that use motorized vehicles on the system and not discriminate against just one group - the snowmobilers. This trail system caters to all types of motorized vehicles, therefore all users of motorized vehicles must share in the responsibility in the maintenance and the administration of that trail system.

Sincerely,


Brian Pollard

Bishop's Falls

COURTSEY OF Northern Pen - Opinion - Letters to the editor
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Comment by Robert Sullivan on March 31, 2011 at 10:07pm

I think the point that the NLSF isn't making public how the number of trail passes continuously increased since they were first introduced, up until 2009 when they took the groomers over. People were slowly realizing the benifit of groomed trails and were generally supportive.  Since the NLSF took over grooming operations, the quality of the trails has decreased and in turn, the number of trail passes sold have also decreased.

Comment by Peter Emberley on March 31, 2011 at 8:50pm

 

 APPARENT NLSF RIP OFF OF TRAIL USERS

 

I spoke with a co worker Tuesday (Mar-29). He went to the west coast last week snowmobiling. The NLSF had stopped grooming the trails as of March 11. he was told, if he wanted to ride the main trail he had to buy a trail permit for the weekend or risk getting a $250 fine.

When he contacted the NLSF about the trip they were making last week, he was informed he would not have to buy the trail passes. Later they denied, saying that.

The police told him they would have to issue tickets for non paying trail users even if the grooming had stopped.

I have a question, Why would you have to pay for a service you cannot get? A service they have stopped providing but are forcing trail users to pay for anyway.

Does the NLSF have that much pull? If so. Who gave it to them?

I think it is totaly ludacris and borderline fraud.

Peter

Comment by Peter Emberley on March 28, 2011 at 8:08pm

Writen by,
Dwayne Cull

St. Anthony




Problems in trail grooming




I am writing to once again to weigh in on the groomed trail fiasco we have been dealing with this year. I have been actively seeking information from the provincial government and the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation (NLSF) that would shed light on the reasoning why, in the middle of the season, the NLSF had to cancel grooming.

Although I have yet to receive any answers from the NLSF or the province, I have been able to gain an unsettling insight into the affairs of the federation through access to 2009-10 financial statements available to all on the Internet.

Based on those findings, and in light of the fact that all trail pass holders were ripped off this season, I feel a call for the resignation of the directors of the NLSF is justified.

The financial statement from the federation for 2009-2010 shows an alarming figure of $326,000 being spent on “administration.”

This figure represents 44 per cent of the trail pass sales for the year. I have asked for an explanation of what “administration” is, but barring no answer from the federation, I can only assume it means the cost of running the organization.

This would include promotional costs to attend trade shows, advertising, travel costs for directors, entertaining travel writers and magazine representatives and so on.

I would be remiss not to point out that approximately two weeks before grooming stopped for lack of money, the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federations “Rendevous 2011” was held in Hawkes Bay and was well attended by staff and the board of directors. I can only assume the expenses for that event came from “administration” as well.

In essence, under the NLSF, we, the trail pass holders of this province, are responsible for funding all activities related to building the snowmobiling industry in this province.

Quite an unfair share of the burden when the province is contributing nothing to the cause.

By contrast, under the local clubs, we were responsible only for grooming and I might add, did a very good job of it. We also had far better compliance by the users and sponsors, because everyone could see their money going directly into the fuel tanks of the groomers.

I have to ask how anyone expects any improvement in 2012 under the current leadership of the federation.

As the body responsible for the mess we are in now, I see no alternative but a mass resignation of the board of directors.

The snowmobiling public has no faith in the organization and, without introducing a whole new concept to trail grooming in the province, we can only expect things will start out worse in 2012 than it ended in 2011. The provincial government is not without blame either, and must now step in to facilitate the creation of a new era of grooming in the province.

A groomed trail network is vital to a healthy winter tourism sector, which in turn creates a great deal of revenue for the government. There should be recognition of this by the province and they should become directly involved in the renewal process, starting immediately.


Dwayne Cull

St. Anthony

Courtesy of The Telegram
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