Snowmobile club will give province time

The North Bay Snowmobilers Club will give the province more time to consider the crisis facing Ontario snowmobile clubs before deciding whether to continue operating.

President Bill Irwin said he received a request from the Near North Trail Association asking for a modification of a resolution that could have seen the club close down following the current snowmobile season.

“They felt that the government can’t operate with a threat hanging over its head,” Irwin said.

The resolution was reworded at a club meeting Wednesday night, Irwin said.

“We’re going to give government a little bit more time to consider the situation rather than just having them put a Band-aid on the wound. But if nothing concrete has happened prior to the start of the 2004-2005 season then we’ll have to do an assessment,” Irwin said.

“We’re hoping not to shut down or cancel our favourite past time, but if we can’t afford it we’ll have to walk away.”

The club has been concerned with the high cost of insurance and the red tape it has encountered dealing with the provincial governments.