Serving in the volunteer position as president of the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation [BCSF] speaks of a dedication to the sport. It also comes with a whole lot of knowledge about sledding in B.C. The current president, Erin Hart, recently brought us up to speed with what’s going on in the province, and what the BCSF is working on at the moment.
The BCSF is associated with 50 individual snowmobile clubs and represents all of B.C. With 5,000 members and growing, the organization plays a pretty big role in sledding throughout the province. Some of the BCSF's most notable initiatives at the moment have to do with promoting the safety of riders. The federation is currently working on a snowmobile operators safety program that will be available online. It’s already been sold into Saskatchewan and is currently being adapted to fit with the British Columbia criteria. The Canadian Avalanche Centre is also playing a role and the hope is that people will be encouraged to get their Avalanche Skills Training Course certification. Once available, the four- to five-hour course will require a score of 80 per cent or higher to pass.
Additionally, the BCSF is updating the safety program that it currently has in place. It is working to get funding so it can send safety educators on the road to schools around the province—especially to communities that are frequently snowbound and where snowmobiling is a big part of life.
“We really want to push that initiative right across the province to support anything safety oriented in regards to sledding,” said Hart. “Whether it be riding on ice, drinking and driving, avalanche awareness, you name it—we want to support the safety message, and that will just increases the awareness of the sport.”
The best thing individual snowmobilers can do to support the sport, said Hart, is to join a snowmobile club. Only about 10 per cent of B.C.’s 70,000 to 80,000 riders are represented by a club. At the very least, buying a trail pass will help promote the interests of sledding throughout the province to make is a safe and sustainable pastime. Membership also comes with a variety of benefits. The biggest is insurance discounts, but a membership with the BCSF also comes with a large number of other advantages. And that is not to undermine the social benefits that can come from joining a club. New riders can learn a great deal from any club’s informal welcoming committee. More experienced riders will have an immediate network with whom they can share a favourite destination or a day on the trails.
Another great thing about snowmobile clubs is that they often plan activities. The BCSF supports a variety of Snowarama events that take place across the province each year. Each of these events raises money towards Easter Seals for Kids. The BCSF will also be coming out with a very nice shirt. It will be available at their store, again, with all proceeds going to charity.
It’s been a great year so far, said Hart. He points out that B.C. always does relatively well as far as conditions go, anyway, but the BCSF hasn’t been hearing any complaints for the 2012/2013 season. With 50 different presidents and an active Facebook page in the mix, the BCSF tends to stay pretty well informed and finds it encouraging when everybody has an awesome season.
Let’s Ride B.C., a web initiative that the BCSF is involved with, promotes B.C. as a sledding destination. Clubs can go on the website and indicate where they are in the province. It gives people the opportunity to look online and find what is available to them in specific areas. It becomes an information portal that is meant to drive snowmobiling around British Columbia.
The province certainly has something to promote. Hart believes its long seasons are the biggest advantage B.C. has when it comes to sledding. Its mountains mean that you can find somewhere to ride through most of the year if you’re willing to take your trailer quite high. That’s not to mention the fun terrain and amazing scenery that comes along with it.
“The option is there so you tend to have the benefits of an earlier season than most—and a later season than most,” said Hart. “Even in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, it’s not uncommon for me to be sledding into July and sometimes into August. And there’s just some unbelievable riding conditions because the landscape of B.C. lends itself well to snowmobiling.”
