Consider this; your local club is comprised of a small number of volunteers that fill various positions. They volunteer countless hours to make sure our local riding area is set to go each season.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what would happen if people simply didn’t show up and help out?
For instance, let’s tackle the volunteer hours that go into maintaining the trails that are used by all, both locally in the Burns Lake area and in the Sibola Mountain riding areas.
So, what if the trees are not trimmed, blow down is not cleared away, trail markings not being maintained through the spring, summer and fall?
What if the bridges were not re-built, replaced and maintained?
What if someone from your club executive did not deal with your local recreation officers to ensure there was a proper management agreement in place so that you and your friends and family could ride in your favourite areas? Add all this up and the time and expenses are staggering.
The Burns Lake Snowmobile Club (BLSC) is a non-profit society so having a current club membership helps to cover the costs for maintenance materials, fuel, propane, and club activities.
To date there have been meetings with various government departments including British Columbia Tourism to consider an annual off-road recreation vehicle permit.
This permit fee is to offer up the monetary resources to better manage snowmobilers province wide. The process is a slow one, but with Tourism Minister Pat Bell, who is also a sledder, and understands the snowmobile clubs situation, hopefully a solution will be found that will benefit everyone across the province.
The BLSC has and will continue to work hard to keep our riding areas user friendly for everyone but we do need support from our local riders to step up and help with this.
As the saying goes more hands make less work for all.
The BLSC likes to have fun too, with our monthly club rides to various areas to accommodate all riding levels, the snowarama poker ride that supports charities and are looking for new ideas and activities that is family fun.