ATV/BC NEWSLETTER FEB 2016 ATVBC POKER RIDE CLEARWATER, B.C. EDITOR MESSAGE

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1 987 \ ATV/BC NEWSLETTER Issue 31 1 ATV/BC NEWSLETTER FEB 2016 Volume 5. Issue 31 ATVBC POKER RIDE CLEARWATER, B.C. EDITOR MESSAGE BY: RALPH MATTHEWS Well I hope everyones holiday season went well, and you got all the new doodads for your quad or side by side that you asked for. It looks like spring is upon us, as here in the Cariboo the snow is melting the grass is starting to show and it wont be long before we are out there riding and having fun. Ive already started putting my summer riding trips together and it should be a good summer as we will be starting our riding in Tumbler Ridge and making our way through the province. For some of us it is time to renew our membership so please do so from the website or through your local club. It is through you and the membership that ATVBC is able to help clubs continue to do the work that they do to maintain the trails and build new trails and to fight to keep our riding areas open. The Website Committee has been doing a great job on the website. If you havent been there for a while you should check it out (atvbc.ca). The events section not only has the calendar of events but if you click on the event you will get a google map of the area, plus if there are trails in the area you can download to your computer. So if your club has an upcoming event that you would like to advertise just Greg Smith at greg@atvbc.ca with the information and he will gladly put it up on the website.

2 ATV/BC NEWSLETTER Issue 31 2 PRESIDENTS BLOG by Moira Jaatteenmaki There have been several inational releases by the BC Government re R & L and we have been circulating these to the clubs and ask Here we are already at the end of February, For most of us, we can only anticipate getting to ride sometime in April. If you live in an area like Revelstoke where a good portion of our riding is done at higher altitudes, it is a matter of patiently waiting for the snow to go. In the meantime, do take the time to get your machine in tiptop order for the season. TLC now will pay big dividends later. As you know, Terry has decided to retire (once again) and we were fortunate to have Kim Smith take over his position starting on January 4 th, Kim comes to us via ABC Snow and has an impressive background in administration and working with clubs. Right now, Kim is working alongside Terry to absorb how and why and when he does the Lands Issues and Environmental Coordinator issues. They have been over to the Kootenays for critical meetings re the Pend DOreille ATV closures and to discuss other situations with member clubs. In mid-february, they were on Vancouver Island meeting with several clubs and a Timber Company as well as assisting a community on becoming an ATV tourism destination. Kim will officially take over from Terry on March 1 st but Terry will continue to provide support until March 31 st then will retire. More to come next newsletter. Kims official title is Land and Environment Coordinator/General Manager or LEC/GM. The GM duties are an important addition for the Board. She has already come forward with new ideas, suggestions for improvement and ways we can change. We are looking forward to working with her and Im sure you will benefit from her expertise and assistance in many ways. Kim can be contacted at kim@atvbc.ca. The Directors and staff of ATVBC have certainly not been snoozing over these winter months. We have held monthly conference calls on generally the 3 rd Wednesday of the month trying to get things ready for a new season of riding, making plans for upcoming events and discussing what we need to do to make everything better. We have several upcoming events for Full information will be on our web site and we will keep you up to date on these via that, newsletters and s. Sportsmans Show at Abbotsford, March 4 th, 5th and 6 th. ATVBC will have a booth there and Kim will be present as well, so make sure you drop by and say hello. We will be promoting ATVBC as well as providing any and all kinds of information and handouts. ATVBC will be participating in the Teen Fest to be held in Kamloops on March 12 th, As the name implies, this is for the teens and an excellent opportunity to offer various activities and education to that age group. We are planning on partnering with a local ATV club on this. Face to Face Meeting in Langley on April 23 rd and 24 th. There will be a Board of Directors workshop on the morning of the 23 rd. The afternoon will be an open session for members and anyone else interested. So far we have three major speakers John Hawkins, Tennessee Trent and Vera Vukelich - and will be adding one or two more. Should be a very informative afternoon with lots of opportunity to ask questions. Lots more details to follow. (Check the ATVBC.CA website) ATVBC Annual Poker Ride: This is taking place in Merritt this year from July 11 th to the 17th. There are lots of activities and rides planned as well as the Poker Ride. The Nicola Valley ATV Club and the village of Merritt are excited to be hosting this. The Jamboree and AGM will be in Kamloops from August 16 th to 21 st with the AGM on the Saturday. The Kamloops Club has great rides planned as well as other activities to keep you busy for the week. Thanks to the Nicola Valley ATV Club and Greater Kamloops ATV Association for hosting those events and making sure you are going to have a great time. Mark your calendar and see you there. All clubs have a Director allocated to them and the name is shown in the Club listing on the web site. They can be your first line to getting in touch with ATVBC if you have a problem not associated with the office. However, at any time, by all means contact an appropriate person in ATVBC whether it is myself, the Office Manager or the LEC/GM. There are a number of ways in which we can assist you with a problem, give you advice or if need be, arrange to come to your location. There are many instances where Terry has been able to intervene successfully at an early stage but unfortunately some instances where he was contacted at a later stage with mixed results due to the delay. Please contact us anytime you think we could assist you as that is what we are here for. Stay warm and dont get stuck in the snow. Moira president@atvbc.ca or moira@atvbc.ca

3 ATV/BC NEWSLETTER Issue 31 3 From the Raffle Committee: This years Raffle should have tickets available soon, so please get your order in to Elly at the ATVBC office, so that she can send you your tickets. Do remember that for every full book of tickets that your club sells you will get dollars back. This years quad is a Can-Am 850 Max XT the color is once again brushed Aluminum. It is supplied by Performance All terrain And Rentals from 100 Mile house with help from GVP at Port Kells. Second prize is a Yamaha 2400 watt invertor generator. Third Prize is again a Yamaha 3000 psi pressure washer and both of these come from Prince George Power Sports. We would like to thank all of the sponsors for their help in our raffle. By: Ralph Matthews Corporate Sponsors:

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5 ATV/BC NEWSLETTER Issue 31 5 KIMS BLOG I would like to thank everyone at ATVBC for the warm welcome to the team. My first month has flown by with lots of activity getting up to speed on all the projects, issues, and initiatives no two days are alike, which makes each day a new adventure! Terry Wardrop and I travelled to the Kootenays in mid-january, with our first stop in Grand Forks to meet the ATV Club President. I found this to be an inspiring meeting, to hear all the amazing accomplishments the club has had over the last few years including collaborative management of multi-use trail networks, job creation programs, extensive grant funding, construction of heritage monuments, and the list keeps going! This is a very progressive club, with phenomenal community support. I also had the pleasure of meeting the President of the Greenwood Boundary ATV Club and learned about the tourism initiatives that they are working on in their community. As the new ORV legislation has paved the way for ATV tourism it is fantastic to see communities pursuing these opportunities. This is a very exciting time for tourism and motorized recreation. Our last stop was in Fruitvale to attend land use meetings regarding the Pend doreille Valley. This is where we met members from the West Kooteany ATV Club and the Salmo Seniors ATV Club. These are hardworking, dedicated club members that are very passionate about preserving their riding areas. It is very motivating to meet such committed individuals. Kudos to you all for your ongoing efforts! I have immensely enjoyed meeting the clubs and members that I have been able to so far, and look forward to meeting many more of you! Speaking of meeting, we have a couple of fantastic networking opportunities coming up, and hope to see you at the: BC Sportsmens Show on March 4-6, 2016 at the Tradex in Abbotsford, BC Drop by and visit us at the ATVBC Booth #506 ATVBC Spring F2F Meeting on April 23, 2016 at the Cascades Hotel & Convention Centre in Langley, BC Guest Speakers: John Hawkings, Tennessee Trent, Vera Vukelich Stay tuned for meeting announcement, coming soon! Happy Trails! Kim Smith