Volunteers needed!

On May 1, 2020 / News and Events, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

Volunteers needed!

Hello fellow members of our club.

We have a chance for some of you to become active members working with us in this club, looking after some of our trails in the Almonte area.

Our club has over 250 km of trails, and we have a dedicated group of people, our trail coordinators, who look after them.

We split the trails into small pieces that are more manageable for each coordinator. The trail coordinator for a section of trail, looks after getting pickets and signage installed in the fall, and removed in the spring. They also watch for any issues that might arise in that section and work that may be needed. Should anything arise, they can reach out to the board, to other coordinators, and to volunteers at large who may be available.

While we have trail coordinators that take responsibility for a section of trail, whenever help is needed, we all pitch in, as best we can. No one is expected to “do it all themselves”.

The more people who can take on small pieces of the trail, the easier it is to maintain the whole system, and so, we are appealing to our members.

The areas where we could use some extra help with are:

different sections of trails from Almonte in the directions of Panmure (parts of A trail to W19),
Pakenham (parts of W23, W311),
Blakeny (W12, W14).

We will work with new volunteers to ensure they are comfortable with handling a section of trail. This is your chance to give back to snowmobiling and make a difference with your local club.

Volunteering with WCSTAI

On January 17, 2020 / Volunteers

A small group of club members have stepped up to help address the engagement of our volunteers and the volunteer coordination issue, meeting with Eric Mesdag, a Director of the club.

We know many of you have indicated when you bought your pass that you are willing to volunteer and others have contacted the Club directly. We shall come up with improvements to better reach members who are willing to help.

Your interest in assisting you Club is appreciated, Stay tuned.

URGENT NEED FOR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR AND VOLUNTEERS

On January 7, 2020 / Club meetings, Signage, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

You may have seen Steve Burgess’s recent post and the lack of volunteers to open and maintain our trails. Not one of our Members (read YOU) showed up. There was a comment from one Club Member that we did not contact him. Also, another comment that not everyone sits around and reads Facebook.

There is a fact that: too much is being done by too few for too many Club Members who like to ride but do not want to help. I also know that a number of Members have offered to help but we do not contact them.

We are in desperate need of a Volunteer with some social media skills who likes to talk to people to work with the Board and coordinate those people who have offered to help. Facebook is not working. We need fresh ideas as to how to make our Club a community where people want to be involved. This goes beyond trail maintenance to other fun events we can hold to involve our Members.

If you can help, please contact me directly. Email me at paulmcdonald@magma.ca or call me at 613-832-2362. I like to talk to people. Do not message me. Facebook or whatever it is does not work.

As Steve Burgess points out the people who are currently maintaining your trails are getting tired (read fed up). We opened the trails and we cleaned up after the last storm. Who is going to clean up after the heavy snow we just received. Maybe no one!!

A good start is for someone to work with the Board to develop an effective communication plan. Then we can ask for help when we need it from those few other Members who have offered to help. Would one of you please volunteer to take this on? Bring a friend and make it an enjoyable part of being a Member of YOUR snowmobile club.

If you know someone and they do not follow us on our website or Facebook please pass this on.

Paul McDonald, Vice President and Volunteer

WCSTAI awarded the District 1 – Club of the Year award!

On October 22, 2019 / News and Events, OFSC, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

The West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association Inc. was awarded the District 1 – Club of the Year award, in large part due to our great volunteer efforts, specifically recognizing all of the work we all have done on both the OVRT and the new Capital Rail Trail. Also noted was our fundraising, including our charitable contribution to the Dunrobin Tornado rebuilding effort.

Way to go West Carleton Sledders!

WCSTA Award nominations

On January 2, 2019 / Feature, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

It’s that time of the year again 🙂 Your WC Snowmobile club is accepting nominations for the following end of year awards !

– WC Mike Asquini Volunteer Of The Year
– WC Rookie Of The Year
– WC Family Of The Year
– WC Trail Patroller Of The Year
– WC Safe Snowmobiling Ambassador
– WC Outstanding Snowmobile Promotion

If you have someone you would like to nominate please email to contact@wcstai.com. Nominations will close on Sunday Jan 6, 2019.

Your board of directors will be voting on this at our monthly meeting on Tuesday Jan 8, 2019.

Please explain why you are nominating this important and amazing person ……………..

Thanks so much,
Scott

Signage Training – CORRECTION: Dec. 4

On November 20, 2018 / Club meetings, Feature, OFSC, Signage, Volunteers

snowmobile-trail-signage

Who would have thought we would have this much snow stay on the ground this early in the year. I hope it stays until April. I had my first ride but didn’t get out of the yard.

Our Signage Training Course is being presented on December 4, 2018 at 6:00 prior to the regular Board Meeting at the Community Centre in Kinburn. If you haven’t volunteered to help sign some of our trails this is an excellent opportunity to find out what it’s all about!

Don’t forget that OFSC requires that all Trail Coordinators receive Signage Training at least every 3 years. There are a number of new people on the list this year that require training and others that need a refresher course. I hope to see you there.

Also we have lost a few people this year and are looking for Trail Coordinators for the following sections.

A trail	Arnprior dam to RR29
W16	W11 to Galetta Rd
W16	Cannon Smith to Torbolton Ridge
W16	Torbolton Ridge to Buckrams Bay
W311S	CP rail Pakenham to Arnprior

If you have friends who snowmobile and would volunteer to help on one of these sections please let me know.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated by the Board of Directors and enjoyed by our club members. I thank you for your assistance.

Paul McDonald

Trail Patrol Course – Wed. Jan. 10th

On January 5, 2018 / Club meetings, Feature, News and Events, OFSC, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

Trail Patrol Course – Wed. Jan. 10th

We are going to be training new Trail Patrol (trail wardens) on Wednesday January 10th from 7 to 9pm at Kinburn Community Centre.

Trail Patrol are on trail ambassadors for snowmobiling. We are there to promote a safe snowmobile experience for everyone, give valuable information to fellow sledders and promote our sport.

I should add this is also to get an update on your current training. We are moving to a district wide Trail Patrol not just by club. Come out to here about he changed as well. all good stuff.

Please email trailpatrol@wcstai.com to sign up or get more information.

The course is under two hours.

Thank you,
Scott Hamilton
President
WCSTAI

Trails are not open yet! Please stay off of them.

On December 28, 2017 / Feature, Media Release, OFSC, Trail Conditions, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

Groomers have started pre-season packing of West Carleton trails, and this cold weather is really helping to firm up our waterways and swamps. We need a little more snow, and things are starting to look good for a start to a great season very soon but TRAILS ARE STILL NOT OPEN.

There are various reasons, whether it be our landowners not able to open gates (yes livestock can still be out in the fields at this time of year). And there is still not enough dense snow in most areas which, as you may be hearing in the news is a serious safety issue. Club volunteers want the trails open as much as anyone, as we are all sledders too, but this takes a combination of the right snow/safety conditions and permission to open gates on our land owners properties. Trail patrol is now patrolling trails and with new legislation in place, trespassers can now be fined up to $10,000 for trespassing and riding on unopened trails. This is serious stuff.

Please, everyone remember that trying to get that jump on the season before trails are open risks it for all of us. We have lost some valuable links on local trails yet again this season and have had to significantly increase road running because of the few sledders who think that just one run on an opened trail does not matter. It does. Just one sled wandering where it shouldn’t be can result in a trail becoming a permanent dead end – and we can’t blame our landowners for trying to protect their crops, property and livelihood.

On a lighter note, West Carleton has some exciting new trails being opened this season, like rail bridges in Pakenham and Arnprior on the W311 and the A trail. It has taken thousands of hours and working with the goodwill of the public, towns and municipalities to get us, the sledders, access to these. These routes are being opened on a trial basis and access to these areas can still be revoked by riding on them now, before official opening.

It’s going to be a great year if people can please, PLEASE keep the sleds parked until they show “Available” on the Interactive Trail Guide. And if you know that person that still insists on trespassing on unopened trails – put some pressure on them – they are messing with all that money you have invested riding this year.

Important Meeting! WCSTA AGM – Tuesday September 5th

On August 10, 2017 / AGM, Club meetings, Feature, Media Release, News and Events, OFSC, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

Very important general meeting! We need a huge turnout.

This is a transition year for our club becoming part of District management under the MOTS (More On The Snow) program. And there is a potential for big changes to our club’s management with a very important election of officers. We need West Carleton Sledders to voice their opinions and concerns to make sure the executive and volunteers can continue to make our club great. This year it is possible that major changes will occur to your Board of Directors and Officers.

We need your support at this one annual meeting.

Also, there will be an update on the great success we have had with securing the County Rail Line as a brand new trail. There has been a huge amount of work by several club executives (including all of you who voiced political support) to make this exciting project happen.

Please join us at the West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association Annual General Meeting – Tuesday September 5th, 7:00pm, at the Kinburn Community Centre.

Board of directors will be nominated and elected by our members at this meeting, and we encourage all current permit holders to join us and participate in continuing to set the course for snowmobiling in West Carleton, and representation of our club within the OFSC. Many great things have been happening for our club, and you can really help out by getting involved!

So, please come out to the AGM and see what is going on with your local club. We are continuing to try to plan more fun and exciting things this year, but we need your help to make them happen! Get to know our dynamic team of volunteers, fellow snowmobilers and hard-working directors. Here is a list of some things we are doing now, along with some new ideas brought forward by current volunteers and board members.

Poker run in support of the Snowsuit Fund
Landowners appreciation dinner
Braap ’n Bash event with live entertainment
Trail side BBQ
Fund raising (selling raffle tickets, trail map advertising)
Family free weekend
Day and night group rides

Immediately following the AGM the newly appointed Board will commence with the election of President, Vice President and other Officers for the 2017-2018 season.

We hope to see you there!

Wait for it… wait for it….

On December 12, 2016 / Feature, Media Release, OFSC, Trail Conditions, Volunteers, West Carleton Snowmobile Trails Association

Another awesome dump of snow last night and today and in the distance I think I hear groomers starting to warm up for some pre-season packing. Hopefully a good cold snap will also help our waterways and swamps, which are still far from being safe. But things are looking great!

Please, everyone remember that trying to get that jump on the season before trails are open risks it for all of us. We have lost some valuable links on local trails this season and have been working hard to find suitable reroutes. One sled wandering where it shouldn’t be can result in a trail becoming a permanent dead end – and we can’t blame our landowners for trying to protect their crops, property and livelihood.

On a lighter note, West Carleton has some exciting new trails being opened this season, like the W311 – the rail bed linking us from Arnprior, through Pakenham, Almonte, Blakeney and continuing on in the BEAST as #311. Huge thanks to the families who went out and brushed and put up the signs!

http://www.ofsc.on.ca/content/ofsc-warns-snowmobilers-keep-sleds-parked-november-2017

Archive for the Volunteers Category

Volunteers needed!

Trail Patrol Course – Wed. Jan. 10th

Very important general meeting! We need a huge turnout.