David J. Widmann

Winterfest 2003 brings out the best in senior sports enthusiasts

Northumberland seniors proved competitive at Winterfest 2003 in London this week.

“We had four people in alpine skiing,” said Phil Calnan, one of the skiers that went with the Victoria/Peterborough/Northumberland team to Winterfest.

“Two of them won bronze medals. Lloyd Margles won it for the men, and Liz Sine won it for the women.”

In mixed-doubles badminton, Marilyn McMillan and John Geale won bronze for the Victoria/Peterborough/Northumberland team.

Calnan said that competition at the games was fierce.

“They were worked hard,” he said. “There were 25 games of badminton for the couple that won the bronze medal. Mr. and Mrs. Warren Harvey, in the curling tournament, said they worked for two days solid and finished only ten minutes before the dinner where the results would be announced.”

Unfortunately the Warrens, who were seen as curling favourites among their teammates, weren’t among the medal winners.

“There was some tough competition,” said Calnan. “We came in within a fraction of a second of winning bronze in skating. The volleyball players had seven good games, and they came within inches of getting bronze.”

As competitive as it was, Calnan said that more than anything, Winterfest 2003 was great fun.

“We went up there with 35 people,” he said. “They didn’t really know each other, but they had a great time and it made for a lot of new friendships. A lot of people suffer the blues in February, but if you’re out there skiing or skating or doing any of these activities, you don’t have time to get depressed.”

Other events at Winterfest 2003 with the Victoria/Peterborough/Northumberland team competed in included 5-pin and 10-pin bowling, Nordic skiing and basketball.

“We did not have a team in ice hockey,” said Calnan. “I couldn’t get a local team of seniors, even though there are many who play hockey. Most of them told me they had their year slotted very much ahead of time.”

Winterfest 2005 still hasn’t found a host city, but Calnan hopes a Victoria/Peterborough/Northumberland team can be assembled by then.

“The competition there in hockey was absolutely marvelous,” he said. I was amazed at the quality.”

The long-awaited first weekend of snowmobiling is here.

After a slow, low-snbow start to the winter, recent weather conditions have been welcomed by snowmobilers.

Richard Riach, president of the Sudbury Trail Plan Association (STP), said trails identified earlier this week should be fully groomed by the end of the weekend.

“Some trails to the south, particularly those on logging roads, may be groomed this weekend in addition to those previously announced,” he said.

“Ice conditions on the lakes are still being checked and the clubs are hoping to have all but the main lakes — Wanapitae, Penage, and Fairbank — staked by the end of the weekend provided conditions are appropriate. The other lakes will be reviewed for staking possibly as soon as next weekend.”

Riach also reminded riders that significant snowfall is still needed before trails closer to town are safe.

“People riding the trails need to exercise care and reduce speed to prevent damage to their machine and perhaps personal injury,” he said.

Police and STOP officers are also beginning patrols of the trails this weekend. People trespassing, illegally using ATVs or other motorized vehicles, or riding without permits on their snowmobiles will face fines of up to $205.

“They must also carry their license, proof of insurance, and their ownership for their machine as they may be requested to produce it at police spot checks,” Riach said.

Some of the world’s best curled for cash at the T.M. Davies Community Centre in Lively this past week.

Photo accompanied story by Sudbury Star staff.

Some of the world’s best curlers are showing their form at the T.M. Davies Centre in Lively during the Masters of Curling event.

Photo accompanied article by Sudbury Star staff

Three have died on area trails

With the death toll mounting, those in charge of maintaining and patrolling Greater Sudbury’s snowmobile trails are again warning snowmobilers they must use greater caution while riding.

Three people have died in the Sudbury area and a fourth person is missing as the result of snowmobile mishaps over the past 10 days.

Jody Waldenberg of Val Therese died on Dec. 28 while riding on Onaping Lake. Richard Borton, 25, of Sudbury died on New Year’s Day after the machine he was riding struck a rock face on Nepewassi Lake.

A passenger, Wayne Grenon, died Friday of his injuries, Ontario Provincial Police in Sudbury said.

Another rider is missing after his snowmobile fell through the ice Sunday on Fairbanks Lake. A passenger scrambled to safety.

“People need to recognize that a snowmachine travelling at 30 to 40 km-h can take you a long ways from help in a hurry,” said Richard Riach, president of the Sudbury Trail Plan Association. “Cell phones may not always work in the bush or remote areas.”

Of particular concern is the state of the area’s lakes. Milder- than-normal temperatures mean ice is often not thick enough to support machines and riders.

Staked routes

“STP and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs use a series of stakes to identify travel routes across water bodies,” Riach said. “These paths have been checked for adequate ice thickness and are monitored by the clubs to ensure no major problems such as pressure ridges are occurring.

“If they are, they are identified and the trail is rerouted or closed as appropriate.”

Riach said riders should stay close to the trail’s stakelines when riding since the ice thickness can vary dramatically only a few metres away.

“At night time, or in a storm, the stakeline is the only way to find your path across water bodies, as there is typically no groomed trail to follow.”

Although the danger of falling through ice on an organized trail system is low, Riach said that there are things riders can do to help increase their chances of survival should their snowmobile fall through the surface.

“It is recommended to wear a floater style snowmobile suit,” said Riach. “If their budget is too tight, a regular life jacket works also.

“Riders should also carry a set of ice picks around their neck so they are easily and quickly accessible when needed. Carrying them under your suit or in your pocket makes them essentially useless.

“Snowmobilers should also carry a length of rope or a throw line with them in case their buddy goes through the ice and they need to rescue them.”

There are other safety precautions that can be taken while out on the snowmobile trails.

“To ensure the highest level of safety, it is important to always ride the club-built and maintained trails whenever possible,” Riach said. “These trails are routed so as to provide the best possible conditions and highest degree of safety possible given the off-road terrain being crossed.

“The clubs work hard at ensuring any hazards are removed or identified so as to allow the responsible rider time to address the hazard correctly.”

‘Dynamic nature’

However, Riach said not all hazards can be removed or identified at all times “due to the dynamic nature of this outdoor sport; however your odds are much better on the groomed trail. By obeying signage and looking for irregularities in the typically flatter profile of groomed trails, riders will be more aware of potential obstacles.”

Riach said it is important that anyone using the snowmobile trails do their part to keep the trails safe.

“Snowmobilers need to correct small problems themselves when they see them, or report larger problems to the clubs ASAP so they can be addressed prior to an incident occurring,” he said. “Carrying a small folding saw to take off protruding branches caused by high winds or a snow storm, or a roll of flagging tape to identify a new hazard for the next rider, are both inexpensive and quick fixes that any rider can make.

“By everyone participating, the entire organized trail system will only become safer for all.”

Snowmobile safety tips

Snowmobile safety begins long before you hit the trails. Sudbury Trail Plan Association president Richard Riach recommends taking these precautions before heading out:

- Check your machine to ensure it is in good mechanical condition. Make sure the fuel and oil tanks are full, and that you’re carrying appropriate tools and spare parts such as a belt and spark plugs.

- Check trail and weather conditions and be properly dressed. Carry a first aid kit, waterproof matches and other basic survival needs. Carry your waterproof matches or your fire starter flint on your person so they are still available should your machine go through the ice.

- Advise a responsible person of your intended route, when you’re leaving and when you expect to return.

- Always use the ‘buddy system.’ Ride with a second person and machine so that if one machine breaks down, you won’t be left stranded.

Mild weather, lack of snow delaying start of season

Snowmobilers in the Greater Sudbury area will have to wait a bit longer before hitting the trails, the Sudbury Trail Plan Association says.

In a press release, the association said its trails won’t be safe for riding until it begins grooming operations.

The warning comes the same week two local snowmobilers were killed and one person badly hurt in separate accidents.

Richard Borton, 25, of Sudbury was killed New Year’s Day after a snowmobile carrying two men on Nepewassi Lake hit a rock face near the shore.

Borton, the driver, was killed and his passenger, whose name was not released, was seriously hurt and is in St. Joseph’s Health Centre.

Jody Waldenberger, 32, of Val Therese was killed Saturday in a single-snowmobile accident on Onaping Lake, near Cartier.

Local trails, meanwhile, won’t be made safer for some time. The Sudbury Trail Plan Association said unusually mild weather is responsible for dangerously thin ice conditions on many area lakes.

Additionally, there has not been enough snow accumulation for trail-grooming equipment and snowmobiles to use the trails without the high potential for damage to equipment or terrain.

Trails that are located on farm fields need sufficient snow cover to prevent crop damage. Since these farm fields are on private property, early use of these trails may result in property owners revoking their land-use permissions and closing the trails, the association said.

The association said it has volunteers checking the trails to monitor conditions, and to perform any necessary additional maintenance due to recent rains.

When conditions are appropriate for safe riding, the association will commence operations in those areas as quickly as possible.

There are currently no trails open in Sudbury. For safety reasons, the association asks that riders stay off all trails until they are officially opened for the season.

The association will issue a press release when trail conditions improve.

Riders are also reminded that streets, roads, and parkland properties are off-limits for snowmobiles under the City of Greater Sudbury snowmobile bylaw.

The Sudbury Trail Plan Association is comprised of eight snowmobile clubs within the City of Sudbury. Those clubs include the Onaping Falls Snowmobile Club, the Broder Dill Snowmobilers Association, the Nickel Belt Snow Spirits, the Northbound Sno Drifters, the Coniston Wahnapitae Driftbusters, the Walden Sno Runners, the Valley Trail Masters, and the Capreol Ridge Riders.

For more information on the Sudbury Trail Plan Association, snowmobile safety tips, and to order snowmobile trail maps, visit www.sudburytrailplan.on.ca.