Timmins ATV Club works to sell more memberships to fund more trails

First year for street access for Timmins ATVs The Timmins ATV Club is having a slow but successful season so far since introducing limited street access for off-road vehicles.

The Timmins ATV Club is having a slow but successful season so far since introducing limited street access for off-road vehicles.

The club’s president said it's working to build more local ATV trails, but is noticing that some riders are not purchasing permits, which help cover the club’s costs.

Club officials said volunteers have been hard at work developing and expanding the city’s off-road trail system. Riders have been enjoying being able to ride from their home to the trail on some west-end streets.

President Rick Marin said, for the most part, introducing 'rules of the road' for off-roaders has more people following the law.

"It's been great," Marin said.

"Actually, not too many complaints, but there's, the complaints about trail permits from Timmins police."

Marin said some riders haven’t yet realized they need an official permit from the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs as a condition for street access.

Some confusion

Off-roaders do not currently need a permit when trailering their vehicle to the trails directly, which may be causing some confusion.

"If you want to leave from your house to the trails, you need a permit," he said.

"Also, to follow the 20-km-an-hour bylaw … 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. is also the curfew."

Timmins police couldn't provide data on ATV-related issues by deadline, but Marin said riders just need more education.

Permit sales help support clubs in making trails and holding events.

Marin said his club currently has more than 300 annual permit-holding members, adding up to more than $40,000 in revenue, not including daily and weekend passes.

Up to three-quarters of that goes directly to the club.

"The more permits that we sell, the more fees we can open, the more trails we can open, and so on, so forth," Marin said.

"We are currently working on more trails towards South End, towards the city, Schumacher area and South End. So, to connect (them)."

And he said it’s all being done with limited resources.

"Timmins is big," Marin said.

"We’re one of the biggest OFATV cities, actually, in Ontario. So, it's like I said, we need more volunteers. We need, we need a lot more people.”

He said volunteers are especially needed for an upcoming Mud Fest on Aug. 3 and 4, plus the club is planning group rides this fall.

As things progress, Marin said the hope is to eventually connect the entire area with trails that can take off-roaders as far as possible in any direction and easily connect tourists to the city.