KATVA Club Bulletin

The Trails We All Enjoy

KATVA plays a pivotal role in maintenance of ATV trails in Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County, including sections of trail accessible to a range of other trail users.

Member Commitment

At any one time, 10-15 club members comprise our trail maintenance committee. Each person on the committee is responsible for a designated area or trail corridor. A team of volunteers working together ensures that their trail section is checked at least once a week, to ensure the trails are in their best possible condition for users. That permits regular monitoring and allows for minor clean-up and maintenance as necessary. If greater maintenance is required, the location is identified and the need is passed along to team leader of trail maintenance. Smaller tasks, like a fallen tree are usually addressed by a club work party. Requests for assistance are usually promoted through a Facebook posting inviting volunteers to join in. Larger tasks, particularly along the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor or the Somerville Forest Tracts, are forwarded to City of Kawartha Lakes Parks and Recreation to be addressed by staff or contractors as required.

Our trail maintenance committee has a base knowledge of trail requirements, such as width specifications. The club continues to invest in trail maintenance education and equipment for their volunteers, as well as an annual donation to the City of Kawartha Lakes for ongoing maintenance of the Victoria Rail Trail and Somerville Forest Tract.

Working with Others

KATVA is also part of the Five Points trail system’s user groups committee. If minor maintenance is required in the Five Points area, it is usually completed by our own trail maintenance crew. In Five Points, unlike other trail corridors, we operate a trail maintenance team (three person crew) to address small tasks. Our team was supplied with a Yamaha Viking Side X Side, which the club purchased to assist with maintenance. The vehicle is now equipped with various power and hand tools to expand their capabilities.

The Five Points trail system is used by several recreational groups, which requires co-operation. Currently, the Haliburton ATV Association (HATVA), Ontario Federation of 4WD Recreationists (OF4WD), and the Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club (TMSC), and more recently the Buckhorn District Snowmobile Club (BDSC), work with KATVA to maintain the system. The Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR) joined in our efforts to maintain that trail system. This consortium of clubs and interest groups meets annually to plan large scale projects in co-ordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and private land owners. All projects are executed within the protocols and guidelines established by the Ministry.

Investing in Trails

KATVA makes significant contributions to the health of our community trail systems. The annual Spring Clean-up of the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor (including the Rotary Trail section) has resulted in collection and removal of in excess of 13 tons of garbage in just over five years. The task of maintaining trails is ongoing. It includes routine trimming of vegetation along all trails to permit safe travel of users.

Trail maintenance funding for KATVA comes entirely from membership fees and trail permits. Annually the club commits significantly to trail maintenance. In previous years, the club relied on members to use their own tools and equipment to conduct maintenance tasks, but that simply became too difficult and costly for a small group of members. In recent years, the club has budgeted for the purchase of necessary maintenance equipment, to make the job easier for volunteers. Our Yamaha Viking Side X Side purchase is one example, representing a true investment commitment in trail maintenance.

KATVA annually allocates $10,000 to the City of Kawartha Lakes for projects on the Victoria Rail Trail Corridor. In addition, the club and its supportive volunteers commit to ongoing maintenance projects for the benefit of all trail users.

Accomplishments to Date
rebuilt or replaced several bridges, including:

two on the Millennium Trail, with Kawartha Lakes Snowmobile Club (KLSC),
one in the Five Points system with cooperation from the Buckhorn District Snowmobile Club and the OF4WD and
a second bridge in Five Points with Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club

removal and clearing in 2013 – similar storm damage to 2011, in the north eastern section of the 5 Points, with hundreds of downed trees, cleared by KATVA volunteers, OF4WD, and BDSC over the course of two weeks

rehabilitation and preventative maintenance on all trail systems

While the majority of trail maintenance occurs in less accessible areas, KATVA takes pride in contributing to the maintenance of key trail corridors we all enjoy.

Support For Kids’ Safety Training

KATVA is actively endorsing and promoting ATV rider safety training for youth 12 – 17. The reason is quite simply to help ensure that kids who ride ATVs learn safe and best riding practices early.

We have several member families with kids who ride or want to ride. Their safety and responsible riding has to be a priority for us. Our commitment to this initiative can help prevent unnecessary accidents and reduce risks on trails we manage. It will also help us develop future riders’ attitudes toward the recreation we all love.

Learn To Ride Responsibly

The campaign centres on the message “GEAR UP. GET TRAINED. GO RIDE.” This initiative of the Canadian AQCC Safety Institute (CASI), a division of the All-Terrain Quad Council of Canada (AQCC), is being delivered across the country at educational venues and trade shows, vis-a-vis ATV clubs, and via the website. Most recently, the campaign message was presented at the Ottawa Sportsmen’s Show in February and at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show in March.

Trade Shows offer an opportunity to reach the maximum number of ATV enthusiasts at once. CASI’s campaign booth will be deployed at three-to-five more trade shows. Before the end of 2016, “Posters, handlebar hangers, and bookmarks are distributed wherever possible, including with assistance by clubs like yours. More than 3,000 discount coupons have already been distributed of the original 10,000 piece print run,” according to Wayne Daub, General Manager, AQCC.

If you have a school-aged child, 12 years or older, who rides an ATV or wants to, we encourage you to sign them up for safety training now. For a Full Day Course Hands On, the fee is $85 plus HST for youth. Simply visit canadianatvsafety.ca. On the left side of the browser window click on GET TRAINED to enroll your child in a course. Or simply email us at ridesafe@katva.ca.

Adult Safety Training Too

While the campaign centres on kids, adults learning to ride need good, basic instruction as well. For that matter, many, new and seasoned riders would benefit from safety training simply to help kick bad habits, reinforce what we already know, and improve our overall skill set. If you or someone you know would benefit from safety training, sign up or give them a gift of safety training. For a Full Day Course Hands On, the adult fee is $125 plus HST. The course offers students an opportunity to increase their safety knowledge and to practice basic riding skills in a controlled environment under the direct supervision of a Certified Instructor.

In 2016, KATVA Certified Instructors provided ATV safety training to both City of Kawartha Lakes By-law officers and Ministry Natural Resources staff. And further to our commitment to safe enjoyment and use of the trails, the club president has recently become certified for ROHVA side by side training.

Carolyn Richards, KATVA President, is one of five certified trainers in the Kawartha Lakes – Peterborough Region. “I encourage new riders to take the course and I encourage seasoned riders to become certified trainers,” said Richards. We all know, it’s good for riders and the ATV industry to support the training. At some point, rider training and licensing may even become mandatory in Ontario.

If you want to learn more about this or other AQCC initiatives, visit atvquad.ca

KATVA Is Getting AttentionIf you follow KATVA on Facebook or Twitter, you may have seen our posts and tweets about the campaign. Response from club members and others that saw them was positive.

Because of our marketing supplier, jacks communications group, we were able to negotiate a better media buy with bonus locations through Pattison Outdoor Advertising. One bonus location placed our message across from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The campaign was one more way to encourage people to check us out and to learn more about all we do to promote safe ATV use and the trails we all enjoy. It also supported the efforts of our regional tourism partners, including sponsors who welcome business from the ATV community.

If you saw one of our billboards during your travels, and happened to take a photograph of the billboard with or without yourself in it, send it to us and be sure to note the location. We’d love to share it on our website and social media platforms.

KATVA was represented at the international conference in Montana, USA

The International Off-Highway Vehicle Administrators Association (INOHVAA) held their annual conference in conjunction with the annual National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) conference, in Great Falls, Montana, on October 11 – 15, 2016. Representing Ontario, Carolyn Richards, President of KATVA and the Vice President of the All Terrain Quad Council of Canada participated as invited guest panelists.

It is with great pride and privilege that Carolyn Richards represented KATVA, sharing the association’s success as a vibrant young club of riding enthusiasts. The invitation came on the heels of tremendous progress the club made since its humble beginning in 1998. Accomplishments shared included the growing membership of 1300 (now the largest in Ontario), the working partnerships with other trail organizations, the contributions to municipal trail infrastructure, the club’s dedication to grow trail networks, and the promotion of safe and exciting trail riding.

NOHVCC, as a national body of OHV recreation enthusiasts, develops and provides a wide spectrum of programs, materials and information, or “tools”, to individuals, clubs, associations and agencies in order to further a positive future for responsible OHV recreation. They have volunteer State Partners throughout the United States – working to get all of the states covered. They also have a Partnership with the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council, the All Terrain Quad Council of Canada, and the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada.

The International Off-Highway Vehicle Administrators Association (INOHVAA) is an organization founded by and for officials who manage OHV recreation in their areas. In the U.S., the program managers can be on all levels: federal, state, county, municipalities, or private areas, but the focus is on state level organizations.

Ride for Dad 2016

KATVA Members Show Commitment
to a Fun and Significant Event

The 2016 TELUS Ride for Dad – Kawartha Chapter, ATV Poker Run took place June 4th with 252 riders leaving from Log Chateau Park, Fenelon Falls. Participating riders enjoyed an adventurous day of riding the trails before returning to the Burnt River Community Centre for a full course dinner, prizes and camaraderie.

Over $23,000 was raised for the Prostrate Cancer Fight Foundation, through rider registration fees and pledges, sponsorships, and ride day fund raising events. A very big thank you goes out to all who participated and contributed, including the hard working volunteers, for making this event such a success.

The mission of the TELUS Ride For Dad is to raise funds to save men’s lives by supporting prostate cancer research and raising public awareness of the disease. Funds are raised across the country through large-scale one-day motorcycle, snowmobile, watercraft and ATV ride events, and through ongoing public fundraising throughout the year.

New partnership with
The Cat Shack

KATVA is proud to announce a new partnership forged with The CAT SHACK in Peterborough. In addition to agreeing to sell 2017 ATV passes at their retail shop, Ryan Matthews and his team have provided two Arctic Cat demos to KATVA for use on the trails for maintenance work and other club business.

The Artic Cats will be at all upcoming rides and on display in the KATVA booth at the Toronto Snowmobile/ATV Show on October 21-23, 2016, as well as the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show in the Spring (March 15 -19, 2017). Come and visit us at the booth and take a look at these two incredible machines. KATVA and The Cat Shack look forward to a long and successful partnership.

Successful 2016 Season

Attendance at consumer shows continues to result in significant exposure for the Kawartha ATV Association and the ATV sport in general. The association and its members participate in these to raise the club’s profile and promote the amazing network of trails in Kawartha Lakes. Also, this presence allows the club to be recognized as a responsible and well-managed club, representing a growing membership.