We are approaching that time of year when fresh snow crunches under our feet and we encourage everyone to enjoy the great outdoors. Snowmobiling occurs when a blanket of snow protects the ground, thereby minimizing its impact on plants and earth and after the snow melts, nature once again flourishes. Snoman (Snowmobilers of Manitoba) Inc., which was established in 1975 as a not-for-profit organization, promotes healthy living through recreation. “Our organization and its 52 clubs are responsible for approximately 12,000 kilometres of snowmobile trails and 152 warm-up shelters on the trail system throughout Manitoba,” said Alan Butler, Snoman president.
The organization has a reputation for promoting snowmobile safety by offering online courses and workshops, and also assists with protecting the environment. Our clubs care about the environment and are active players in sustainability. Snowmobilers embrace ecologically friendly policies from recycling to the adoption of new technologies. “We encourage outdoor enthusiasts to join us this season and explore an adventure that is unforgettable and can take you throughout Manitoba on well-groomed and safe trails,” commented Butler.
Designated snowmobile trails provide the safest alternative for riders to enjoy snowmobiling, reducing trespassing on private property while delivering dollars to rural businesses reliant on winter tourism, and an economic benefit of more than $300 million annually to the province of Manitoba.
The Snopass system, your licence to ride the trails, was created to provide a user-pay system. It ensures that riders who use the trail system are helping to fund its ongoing operational costs by paying into it. It provides Snoman Inc. and its clubs with a more stabilized funding base to help finance the operations and administration associated with snowmobile trail maintenance as well as upkeep of the shelters. The organization encourages everyone who uses the trails to purchase a Snopass. This past season there were over 19,200 snowmobiles registered with a Snopass.
“It’s an exciting time for our industry,” stated Butler. “We recently announced our specialty license plate which is available at MPI agents throughout the province starting Nov. 3. We endeavoured upon a project to create a children’s story book entitled A Day on the Trails: Brrrt Shivers Learns Safe Sledding written by Big Daddy Tazz and illustrated by Jon Ljungberg. The book was launched at the Annual Congress on Oct. 25. As well, in August we launched our corporate partnership program which gives businesses with a vested interest in rural Manitoba the ability to contribute to the designated trail system.” For those interested, the storybook can be purchased at McNally Robinson or from the Snoman office and it’s just in time for the holiday season. The book was created to promote recreational snowmobiling and educate children on the safety and environmental aspects of the trail system.
By promoting the snowmobile trail system it helps sustain the recreational activity for enjoyment by all. While it is a seasonal activity, avid snowmobilers are very passionate about it and take pride in the designated trail system in Manitoba. “We enjoy the excitement of being on the trails, meeting up with old friends and making new ones at the many shelters while engaging in planned events or a casual ride,” said Butler.
From Feb. 20-22, 2015. Snoman will host the annual rally taking place in Powerview, north of Winnipeg, and has a full slate of activities planned. It kicks off with a poker derby, followed by a welcoming reception, rides on Saturday, a Saturday afternoon kids’ workshop (featuring story telling with the new children’s book), an awards banquet, and concludes with a “farewell breakfast” on Sunday. Snoman hopes that you can join us. For further information please visit www.snoman.mb.ca.
Coming up on April 3-4, 2015, Snoman invites everyone to visit the booth at the Red River Exhibition to see a sneak peek of the 2016 sleds. “Show your buddies the tail light they’ll be chasing!”
For more information on the events please visit our website listed above or listen weekly on CJOB and Power 97 for our weekly broadcasts during the next season on the great recreational activity of snowmobiling.
