May 12th is the date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After many discussions between ourselves, municipal staff and council members The City of Kawartha Lakes has confirmed that the trails will open to motorized users as of May 12th and therefore we will also be opening the 5 points trails as of the same date. There will however be some guidelines that will have to be followed to make this successful for everyone involved so that we can continue to protect our local communities:
– Passes will only be sold online until further notice. If you are not already a member or are due to renew your membership go to www.katva.ca to purchase your membership and print off your paypal receipt along with the temporary pass and carry them with you or be sure they are accessible on your smart phone.
– If you do not already have a residence here please make sure that you bring your own food and plenty of gas for duration of your stay as we have limited services available and do not want to overburden our communities
– Do not ride around in the towns such as Fenelon Falls and Kinmount unless it’s just to connect between the trails.
– Do not ride in groups of more than 5 as provincial restrictions also apply to the trails and parks and tickets will be issued by law enforcement when necessary
– Do not congregate in parking lots, parks, staging areas or on the trails, again provincial restrictions still apply
– The fine for riding without a trail pass has been increased to $305 and will be enforced
– There will be a heavier presence of non-motorized users on the trails so please reduce your speeds and be mindful of others on the trail for everyone’s safety and enjoyment of the trails
You will see a heavier presence of trail patrol, bylaw officers and the OPP on the trails and in the park areas to make sure that these guidelines are being followed. This is a trial opening of the trails and if riders don’t respect these rules and guidelines then the municipality is prepared to close the trails down again.
We have permission to extend the pilot project allowing the use of SxS on the trails from Fenelon Falls north to Kinmount (stay off the trail and use the roads from Garnet Graham Park to Northline Rd) until we are able to go back to council to have it passed permanently.
– Remember the width restriction is still 64 inches
– All passengers on an ATV or SxS must be a minimum of 8 years of age or older and be able to be secured by the harnessing system in a SxS, and they must have an approved helmet on, no bicycle helmets
“This announcement follows consultation with our community partners and aligns with the recent directives from the province for the reopening of some seasonal and outdoor businesses. Physical distancing and safety protocols must be followed at all times. Affected services will be monitored closely and you can expect to see an increased presence of local law enforcement to ensure public safety is maintained.” …from the City of Kawartha Lakes
We respect and appreciate the City of Kawartha Lakes staff and council members for allowing us the opportunity to get back out on the trails during such difficult times. As always they have been great to work with and we appreciate their reasonable approach and their confidence in our organization to be able to manage the opening of the trails and keep the trails safe for all users. Now it’s our turn as members to show them our gratitude by riding safely and responsibly.
Carolyn Richards,
President