There's no immediate word on when its trails will open for the season, but Sault Trailblazers Snowmobile Club has called a meeting for Wednesday night after cutting a five-year deal allowing its members to sled on city property.
The first-time-ever land-use contract was approved by city council on Monday night.
Members are asked to attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 at 96 Great Northern Rd.
Grooming machines have been preparing the trails but the club said on social media over the weekend that: "We are also working steady on finalizing the last land-owner agreements which must be signed for every parcel before each trail segment is shown on the interactive trail guide and can be opened this year as mandated by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) insurer."
Until now, the Trailblazers have been operating without local land-use agreements, but a five-year, $1 agreement approved last night allows club members to use these properties:
Vacant parcels
- Strathclair/Sinclair Fields – NW corner of Second Line & Black Road
- City property – east side of Birkshire
- City property – west side of Birkshire
- 374 Fifth Line – north of Fifth Line
- 310 Fifth Line – narrow strip
- 524 Fifth Line – landfill
- West side of Great Northern Rd – narrow strip
Road allowances
- Black Road – Black Road crossing
- Third Line East – Third Line crossing
- Old Garden River Road – OGRR crossing
- Birkshire Place – Birkshire Rd crossing
- Great Northern Road – Great Northern Road undercrossing
- Third Line East – Third Line crossing & parallel
- Industrial Park – access to Fairfield
- Fifth Line E – Fifth Line crossing
Sault Trailblazers are now required to maintain insurance including $15 million in coverage per occurrence for any liability arising from the grooming, operation, use and maintenance of the trail network.
"This agreement is very important because it represents good snowmobile partnerships," said Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth, who is herself a sledder.
"I just want to remind them to respect people's properties, not just within our own community, but as you snowmobile outside in the Algoma area, and even outside of Algoma, it is a real privilege that we can use people's property.
"So let's respect their property and stay on the trails and most of all, be safe. Still have fun and do not drink and snowmobile. It's very dangerous.
"Be careful of going across lakes. It's a fun sport. It could be safe for families, for every person, but please just be conscious of other people's properties," Hollingsworth said.