The Algonquin Snowmobile Club (ASC) says they may be forced to close Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) Trail 77.
Steven Barnstaple, interim president of the club, wrote to Lake of Bays council to request permission to route part of the trail over the Maplewood Cemetary property.
Carrie Sykes, the township’s director of corporate services and clerk, says representatives from the club asked for their proposal to be pulled prior to last week’s meeting.
Barnstaple was due to speak to council on Jan. 10, but Mayor Terry Glover said for “obvious reasons to me,” Barnstaple chose to cancel the delegation.
The trail currently crosses the McCabe property on Tally Ho Winter Rd., however, Barnstaple says in his letter the property owner is building a house where the trail would be. “He has advised that he does not want the trail on the laneway of his house that is currently under construction,” he writes.
Despite ASC members trying to figure out a reroute, they haven’t been able to find something suitable, according to Barnstaple. “We have explored the area and have not been able to locate another connection between Miller Hill Road and Tally Ho Winter Road,” writes Barnstaple.
He adds going across the cemetery property is their last resort.
He explains in his letter ASC maintains the trails in the west from Deerhurst Resort to Algonquin Park in the east. He adds in his letter that of the 8,733 OFSC trail permits sold last season, 41 percent were sold by clubs maintaining trails around Lake of Bays. Barnstaple also pointed out that, based on 2019 stats, the impact of snowmobiling in OFSC District 7 was around $57,509,073 gross domestic product, created 709 jobs, and created $26,452,916 in taxes.