Dec. 28, 2009 – $4.3 million devoted to Ontario snowmobiling

Canada is turning to the snowmobile industry to help boost its economy. There are 47 new infrastructure projects worth $4.3 million dedicated to Ontario’s snowmobile trails, according to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.
The projects are part of Canada’s overall Economic Action Plan through a $25 million investment to expand the nation’s national trail system, which was announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper last spring.
The projects will create jobs and create opportunities for tourism. The infrastructure projects occur in all 17 Ontario districts and include placing new signage on more than 9,300 miles of trails, installing or repairing more than 60 bridges and numerous culverts, and undertaking upgrade projects on nearly 4,000 miles of Ontario area snowmobile trails.
“Many remarkable projects are under way, such as building a 240-foot bridge near Gravenhurst (Muskoka) and an inter-district undertaking to revitalize the RAP Tour (Ride ‘Round Algonquin), Ontario’s premier signature loop for snowmobiling,” Mike Farr, Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trails manager, said in a press release. “Our clubs and districts have hit the ground running to ensure that every project delivers a significant return on investment for Canadian taxpayers.”
The millions of stimulus dollars flow from the Government of Canada through the National Trails Coalition, a not-for-profit organization spearheaded by the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations, the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council and the Canadian Trails Federation. Through their affiliates across Canada, such as the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, these parent bodies represent trail building, operating and maintenance organizations in every province and territory.
— Karin Gelschus