The Ontario Government will invest $3.9 million to reopen more than 4,500 kilometres of snowmobile trails in the province.
According to officials, the money being provided to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) will increasing their total infrastructure funding for the season to $4.9 million.
“Snowmobiling is a major part of winter life in Parry Sound–Muskoka, and it supports countless local jobs, from fuel stops and restaurants to resorts, lodges, and small businesses across our communities,” said Graydon Smith, MPP for Parry Sound–Muskoka.
Smith said the additional funding will help give riders more certainty as the season gets underway and support the volunteers and local clubs who keep Ontario’s trail network “safe and ready to ride.”
Locally, the funding will allow the Haliburton County Snowmobile Club to re-open more than 40 km of trails. It will also allow for 8 km of trails to re-open around Dorset, and 11 kms of trails to re-open near Oxtongue Lake.
Snowmobile clubs in District 7 will use the funding to reopen over 134 km worth of trails, including more than 15 km in both Huntsville and Gravenhurst, nine kilometres in Muskoka Lakes, five km in Bracebridge, eight km in Dorset, and nearly two km in Baysville.
“We heard the concerns from riders and the OFSC, and we took action,” said Ric Bresee, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation. “This investment will keep Ontario’s snowmobile trail system safe, reliable, and ready for the season, giving riders and communities the certainty they need to plan with confidence.”
According to provincial officials, snowmobiling contributes up to $6 billion of economic activity annually thanks to Ontario’s world-class network of over 30,000 kilometres of trails that attract visitors from around the world.
