We are currently in danger of losing some of Alberta's most treasured riding and camping areas, which will have an impact on hunting and fishing as well.  Please see the following media release from the Alberta Off Highway Vehicle Association:   Provincial Government slams the door on Albertans .pdf

We strongly urge any OHV enthusiast to mail (preferable) or e-mail the premier, environment minister, and your local MLA.  Contact info and letter writing tips cn be found here:  Letter Writing Tips and GoA Contact Information.pdf

Sincerely,

Lac Ste Anne ATV Club

As a result of the recent announcement of expansion of the Castle Wildland Park and new Castle Provincial Park – ultimately the closure of OHV trails – we strongly urge you to contact:

• ·         Your local MLA
• ·         Honourable Shannon Philips – Minister of Environment and Parks
• ·         Honourable Rachael Notley – Premier of Alberta

We are asking that you write a letter or email and voice your concerns and disappointment to the Alberta Government regarding the OHV trails that will be lost.  

For your convenience attached are letter writing tips and Government contact information, as well as the AOHVA most recent press release.

AOHVA Media Release Jan 26, 2017 (1).pdf

Please post this information/attachments on your websites, social media pages and share with your family, friends  and forward it as you see fit.

Thanks so much and have a great day,

Kim Robicheau
AOHVA Office Administrator
office@aohva.com
403-673-3332
Working to keep you riding

We must now plea to our members and all those who have enjoyed our events in the past for volunteers.  We need volunteers for the ATV rally on Feb 20.  All volunteers will still have an opportunity to ride the rally.  We are anticipating a higher than usual turnout again this year and will require help to ensure a fun day for everyone.

We also require volunteers to assist with the Kids' OHV Novelty Challenge on Feb 19.  This event continues to grow in popularity year after year and it is becoming increasingly difficult to guarantee a fun day without adequate assistance.  There is very little work involved and it is great for some good laughs.

Please contact info@lacsteanneatvclub.com if you are interested in donating a little of your time.

The Alberta Off Highway Vehicle Association is encouraging organizations and individual OHV users to fill out a short survey regarding opinions of mandatory helmet use.

The survey will be active until Sept 25, 2016 and is available for both individuals and organization here: Take the Survey

Traffic Safety Act consultation

Share your thoughts about helmet use for Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) on public land and penalties for drivers traveling at excessive speeds on Alberta roads.

We’re consulting with Albertans to understand attitudes and opinions towards Off-Highway Vehicle helmet use on public land and towards excessive speeding penalties. This is being done to improve safety on Alberta’s roadways.

Helmets for Off-Highway Vehicles

Alberta Health Services (AHS) data show that between 2009 and 2013, on average, more than 21 people were killed in Alberta as a result of OHV use each year. Medical examiner statistics show that 41 per cent of ATV deaths are a result of head injuries.

Any changes to the law will not apply to helmets worn on private land. Survey respondents will also be asked for their thoughts on additional exemptions based on age of riders and what the OHV is being used for.

Survey participants will be asked to respond to questions about OHV helmet use on public land.

Off-Highway Vehicle Collisions (0.3 MB)

Excessive Speed

Alberta Transportation statistics show that, on average, there are 1,165 convictions for speeding more than 50 km/h over the limit in the province each year. Drivers traveling at this speed are subject to a mandatory court appearance where a judge can impose penalties such as a fine or license suspension.

Participants will help determine if more severe penalties for excessive speed are needed and what penalties are appropriate.

Collisions Involving Unsafe Speed (0.02 MB)

The Government of Alberta is considering amendments to the Traffic Safety Act (0.7 MB), which will be based on the responses gathered from this survey.  Legislation is expected to follow in the Fall 2016 session.

As you are likely well aware, Alberta has announced a province wide fire ban.  In addition to banning open fires and charcoal briquettes, they have also banned incendiary shooting targets.  Currently, the province has not taken measures to ban OHV use but is pleading for us to limit OHV use as much as possible.

I you do ride this weekend, please ensure your spark arrestors are in place and that you are vigilant about keeping your exhaust and muffler clear of burnable debris.

• Check Alberta Fire Bans before going out, and follow ALL instructions.
  
• If camping, do not leave cooking stoves or lanterns unattended.
  
• Avoid OHV use as much as possible.
  
• Do not throw out lit cigarettes.
  

Curious what a load of 100 ATV mats looks like?  We just picked up 100 mats which are target for the Stanger Hills trail system.  Now all we need to do is install them, so stay tuned for work bee announcements to do just that.

It was great to see new faces at the club ride on Friday.  We had a great turnout and the weather was fantastic.  Although the trails were still a little too frozen for us to do a proper maintenance assessment, we still had a great ride.  I hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I did!

My camera was acting up, so I didn't get very many pictures.  You can check out the ones I did get in our photo gallery: 2015 Trail Maintenance

It was great to see a few new faces at the AGM again this year.  Thank you all for your participation.

The board members for the 2015/2016 year were elected as follows:

President:	Brad Jouan
Vice President:	Eric Gerhardt
Trail Boss:	Cam Beaulieu
Secretary:	Dean Bradko
Treasurer:	Melinie Beaulieu
Directors:	Marvin Eckert
	Lawrence Lal
	Dan MacKinnon
	Steve McMann
	Matt Persini

 

In the end, there were no changes to the executives but we now have a fresh crew of directors.  The board would like to extend a thank you to thank the 2014/2015 directors (John Bodnaruk, Carlos Ives, Jesse Jouan, and Nicole Kott) for their hard work and dedication over the past year. 

We require four volunteers for the Kids Novelty OHV Challenge on Sunday, Feb 15.  We will need two people to man the registration desk and another two to mark the track and direct participants.  

Likewise, we could use an extra hand or two with the Poker Rally on Monday, Feb 16.

If you are interested in helping out, please send an e-mail info@LacSteAnneAtvClub.com