Here I sit broken-hearted, paid a dime and only . . . that’s how my mind is thinking as I am trying to come up with something to write for the magazine article.
I always wonder what you all would like to read about—what’s happening in the snowmobiling world, or the Northwest Region’s world, or my world? So, because it’s late summer and my mind isn’t working properly because it’s still on holiday, I will write about all three worlds.
In the snowmobile world things have been busy. From the CCSO (our national association), to the ASA, the projects and paperwork have been push, push, push. Once the federal government announced that it was going to fulfill its election promise of money for snowmobile trails (through the National Trails Coalition grant program), the information has been vast. Then the provincial government has said that it would like to start a trail project for the province, so now it’s off to the races for everyone to get their applications in and find matching funding. As most of you know, Round 1 for the National Trails Coalition grant process has passed and many of the projects for Alberta are well underway. Six snowmobile projects were submitted before the August 15, 2014 deadline and the best part for me was that four of the six were from the Northwest Region. So thanks to Northland Sno-Goers from Fox Creek, Athabasca River Runners from Athabasca, Northern Lights Snowmobile Club from Barrhead and Pembina Drift Busters from Westlock for having worked hard over the summer months to get all the paperwork done. I know that I have a great region in the Northwest. We are all forward thinking and have plans as to where we would like to go with our sleds. This helps when announcements are made that there is money to be had and that projects are just about ready to go; all that is needed is cash. I know that it is a lot of work to fill in the blanks, cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s in the application but for some odd reason the federal government requires it to give out the money. So I hope in the end that everyone who works on the paperwork and the projects finds it very worth it. I know anyone who didn’t will also reap the benefits of your hard work. So thank you very much for donating some of your summer to the paperwork and please, everyone, when the projects are approved to proceed, we need to get ’er done. Please step up and call your local club or any other club for that matter, and lend a helping hand. That old saying many hands make light work still applies to this day and age.
So in my world it has been fun, busy and tiring but would I change anything? No. In February I had the pleasure of going to Prince Edward Island (PEI) for their 100th Year Celebration Ride. “Oh, what fun it is to ride!” is the slogan on their railer. After three days of riding there was a CCSO meeting, which was about where the CCSO was going and how we thought we could get there. It also included elections for president and second vice-president of the CCSO, and we have a new president—Dale Hickcox. Dale is from PEI and the second vice-president is me! Yes, I got elected for another term and I am very excited to be working with the CCSO team for the next two years. We plan on doing lots of work with the federal government in getting programs to help with building and maintaining trails, working on groomer programs and a few more ideas that will keep the CCSO busy for the next bit. The only sad part of going to PEI is that I missed the Athabasca River Runners Jamboree but I saw pictures and I know that everyone who went had a great time without me.
Even when the snow leaves and we put our machines away for the summer there is still lots of desk work to be done. I have sent out sign orders, so remember—if you need signs your regional director has to sign your order form before it gets to the ASA office. Then it goes to me to fill and ship out. We presently have lots of signs in stock so now is the time to check your signs and see what you may need for the coming sledding season, and get your order in. I know that I’m good at getting your orders out, but if you don’t have what you want when you are ready to go, I can’t get them there fast enough. I also had the pleasure of screwing up my knee and—you know me—when I do something I like to do it good, so I am waiting for my knee replacement surgery and may be on the couch for a month or so. Hopefully, you remember that and get your sign orders in ahead of time. The only other thing going on in my world is that the family is growing; we have another boy on the way. So three grandsons it will be soon. I am still waiting for my granddaughter but I think that that is a few years off. I moved my parents closer to me so it is nice having them 15 minutes away instead of two hours, and our daughter moved out of the city and back to Westlock so all of our offspring are within 15 minutes of me and I love it.
We will see you soon; until then ride safe and ride sober.
