Lately, the news from the snowmobiling world has been one of trail closures. And that's mostly due to our changing climate as, folks, despite what you've read online, the globe is getting warmer whether you like to believe or not. Facts don't care about feelings, and this one has empircal proof behind it, unlike your drunk uncle.
Yes, lackluster snowfalls have made it all but impossible to open certain trails over the last decade, and that's led to a host of problems throughout the snowmobiling community. One such issue revolving around our warming globe is the decline in snowmobile registrations. We've seen that occur throughout the Eastern United States, where snowmobile registrations have plummeted and cause havoc for trail groomers who rely on those funds to keep trails clean, maintained, and well-groomed.
But that precipitous doom spiral has even come to the Great White North, i.e. Canada, as it was recently announced that while the season hasn't even started yet, the decline in registrations will see over 4,000 kilometers of snowmobile trails closed in Ontario this year. And that's not a great way to start off a riding season.
Per TBNewsWatch, a local affiliate out of Thunder Bay, "Across the province, the OFSC is capping Ontario's groomed trail network at about 25,500 kilometres this year, a reduction of 4,500 kilometres." OFSC is the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, which maintains those trails and roads throughout the winter. And according to the group, "The reason our board made this decision has a lot to do with the current financial situation of not just snowmobiling and organized snowmobiling, but the greater economy. The cost of what we do throughout the province has skyrocketed since COVID."
Basically, the group says that while costs have risen by 52% in recent years, revenue from trail permits has declined by 6%. Further exacerbating the issue is that more folks are buying single or multi-day passes, which are cheaper, versus full-season registrations that are more costly and went to funding the program. Those riders are essentially waiting to see how the season shakes out, given the relative warmth and lack of snowfall in prior years.
Furthermore, some just aren't purchasing permits and registrations, essentially rolling the dice on whether they'll get caught as "compliance is difficult to enfore."
OFSC's CEO, Ryan Eckmeier, also told the outlet, "I also think you can associate it with the overall downturn in the economy, where people just don't have the extra money to spend on power sports." That's something we've seen here in the States, as brands like KTM, Harley, Polaris, and BRP have all scaled back on their high-dollar models in lieu of more affordable offerings, as well as deep incentives on new old stock models sitting on lots.
Echmeier stated, however, that there are still a lot of trails out there for users to enjoy this coming winter, and that the easiest way of ensuring more trails are opened next year, and remain open next year, is to follow the rules and buy a season or multi-day pass, and not just take the chance of getting caught without one.
"What I would say to folks in the north is the best way to ensure snowmobiling remains and sustains is to buy a permit. That's what fuels our volunteers. That's what fuels our operations."
