Sudbury-area snowmobile club says many riders didn't purchase permits this last season

As snowmobiles are moved into storage for the season the head of one club in northern Ontario said more people chose to ride without a permit this past season.

Paul Helm, president of the Capreol Ridge Riders club, said this past season was great in terms of the weather and trail condition, but the previous year wasn't ideal.

Helm believes some riders feel entitled to ride for free after a bad season. 

"It wasn't great. So this year, permit sales were somewhat down to the beginning of the year, close to 40 per cent," he said.

"We noticed locally was not a reduction in riders, but an increase of riders riding without trail permits."

Helm says some people just choose never to buy a permit.

Permits cost about $200 for the season and cover trails throughout the province.

"So people are able to load their machines on a trailer and go to Cochrane and snowmobile there," he said. "They don't have to worry about a second pass."

Helm said the money from the permits goes to a variety of things, including maintenance, repairs and liability insurance.

"So whether we still build [a trail] one day or six months, that cost stays the same and that's a fixed cost," he said. "Then we have the capital costs of all the grooming equipment that we have to purchase and maintain every year."

Helm said he's encouraged local police do spot checks throughout the winter.

"In Espanola, they stopped 32 riders and 17 of them didn't have trail permits," he said.

In Ontario, if a rider is caught on a trail without a snowmobile permit, the fine can range from $200 to $1,000.

At the end of this season the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs posted an open letter to the snowmobiling community on social media. 

"Thank you to the nearly 80,000 who continue to support our clubs, respect our landowners and ensure snowmobiling in Ontario is a positive, family-friendly activity," the letter said.

"To those who complain about the permit prices, trespass, or find negatives in what has been the best winter in Ontario in decades, it may be time to take up a new activity. Instead of criticizing, reach out to your local club, attend a meeting, volunteer and understand their challenges. The weather is unpredictable, but the one thing we can hang out hats on is the dedication of our clubs to show up each winter."