“Unfortunately people are being selfish and irresponsible,” Vice President of the Maple Leaf Snow Skimmers George Tsagrinos says about those who go off-roading on private property.
“The bulk of our trails are marked, posted and gated,” he explains. Tsargrinos says they often get complaints from people who live off of trails or have trails running through their property about people not following the rules. “It’s going to lead to trail closures and the damage done to the trail system will irreplaceable,” he says.
If too much damage is done, Tsargrinos says property owners do have the right to deny access to the trail. At that point, the trail would have to be re-routed. “Or we have no other options and the trail has to be permanently closed,” he says. Either way, it will end up costing the club that operates the trail and the property owner a lot of money.
He explains that property owners cooperating is vital for the local trail system. In a Facebook post, the Snow Skimmers say that some property owners have installed security cameras and other safety measures in order to keep an eye on the trails running through their property.
“They’re causing damages by breaking locks, tearing down gates,” he says of the rule-breaking riders. “It’s not only costing the club a lot of money but the property owner as well.”
Tsagrinos boasts that we have “one of the best” trail systems in Ontario in our area but people aren’t able to enjoy it due to people not following the rules. “We’re not saying they don’t have the right to be on the trails – so long as they’re plated and follow the rules – but please respect the property owners,” he asks.
He asks that ATVers that follow the rules speak to the ones that aren’t and make sure they explain what could happen if rules continue to be broken.