2010 N.B.F.S.C. Lotto Winners The New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs is pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 Lotto Draw held on March 15, 2010.

1st Prize – $10,000 cash - Gordon Sargeson, Keswick, N.B.
 
2nd Prize – $2000 Irving  Dollars - Keith Quinn, Amherst, N.S.
 
3rd Prize – One Week Vacation for Two at Adair’s Wilderness Lodge, Sussex $1500 Value -  Jean-Benoit Lavoie, St-Basile, N.B.
 
4th Prize –  All Inclusive Snowmobile Package for 4 – O’Donnell’s Cottages, Doaktown – valued at $1500 –
Shirley Cahill, Bath, N.B.
 
5th Prize – $1500 Clothing Gift Certificate from G. Bourque –Claude Ouellette, Grand Sault, N.B. 6th Prize – Choko Snowmobile Suit – Valued at $1200Danny Hasson, Gaspereau Forks, N.B.
 
7th Prize – Choko Snowmobile Suit Valued at $1200Raymond Maltais, Balmoral, N.B.
 
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS 

IRVING OIL LTD

ADAIR’S WILDERNESS LODGE

O’DONNELL’S COTTAGES

G. BOURQUE

CHOKO DESIGN

2009 – 2010 Updates and News

The club has been very busy this year working with the new trail issues that arise, the mandates brought on by the federation, and the direction of our members. In our spring AGM we brought to the table known issues like the replacement of the Salmon Creek Bridge on Trail #703, brushing, signage, and bridge construction of phase 2 of the Phillipstown hydro Trail #15 connection to Millstream club, trail into gas and Tim Hortons in Minto, NBCoal Trail Issues, and trail to Fredericton. Well I’m happy to be sitting here at the beginning of 2010 with all these issues started and most of them completed due to the outstanding support and dedication of a small number of volunteers.

In September all the local snowmobile clubs were contacted by Hi Tech Power Sports in Moncton and offered a table at their open house on Oct 17th where HiTech would be unaveiling the 2010 Bombardiers. I attended a meeting at Hi Tech in early Sept. to help plan this first of its kind open house with all the clubs invited to have a display table. With Scott Clark’s help, Tim Bamford and I displayed a collage of pictures from our very prosperous 2009 boat poker run along with live screen shots of our website, maps and handouts about snowmobile safety. Every GLSC Club member who attended that day filled out a ballot for each permit they had purchased for 08-09 year. We won a $500.00 cash prize that day for having the highest percentage of club members visit that day!!! Thanks to all that attended! We also had all our members fill out the $10 Skidoo for Millions entry forms that should get our club a cheque for approximately $1000.00 some time in January, sent from Bombardier to help support local clubs in our sport.

Other issues that our membership wanted to see happen was to investigate the cost of repairing our 1993 Case Gilbert groomer vs. buying and/or trading for another replacement. Well I’m happy to say we the Grand Lake Sno Cruisers are the proud new owners of a 1996 John Deere Gilbert Groomer and 10’ drag. We purchased this groomer from Gilbert, the manufacturer in Quebec, after a club in Forestville Quebec traded it in on a new unit. The John Deere has 4800hrs on it and has had over $20,000.00 in repairs in the last two years. We have decided to keep our older unit and use it as a spare for now and perform some repairs as time/ money allow. Our members also asked for a shelter to be built in the Minto area and thanks to NB Coal, they have given us their field office and placed it on their land at the intersection of trail #15, and Libby’s beach trail, just west of the Evans Road.

As far as bad news, I have just found out a great partner of the club, the Salmon River “Bend” Lodge, will NOT be open for gas, food or lodging this year. This is due in part to Irving planning on plowing a lot of roads in the Salmon River area, and our not being able to groom the trail #780 to the Rexton Salmon River warming shack on trail #52. We hope this temporary closing will not be permanent - the sled info, food, gas, and hunting stories will be missed.

When you get out on the trails this year, the first thing you will notice is the different signs on turns; the federation has adopted a “less is more” principal on signage for 2010 forward. Dozens of older styles of signs have been discontinued and removed from the trails. The Federation has offered a trade-in program where we send in 133 discontinued, shot-up, broken pieces for 200 new signs. Signs like down hill, up hill, 45 deg, 90 deg, “T’s”, Crosses, Caution, etc….. have been discontinued in hopes of simplifying sign inventories, training, and user understanding. Turns are now marked with a “SLOW” app. 100 ft before the turn and a basic black on yellow arrow at the apex of the turn. We have begun the transformation but we are currently awaiting the second round of the trade-in program when we receive the second batch of 200 signs. So until you get accustomed to the new signage, take care on unfamiliar trails and especially at night.

Projects completed are as follows:
New bridge deck on bridge to Libby’s beach
Hydro line from the Irving road to the Phillips road needed cleared and brushed
Bridge replaced on the Phillips town Hydro (Paid for by the Federal Government)
Bridge repairs at the Elliot Brook
New Stove and Pipe, Shelves, Windows, and inside paint at the ICI Shack
Removed the washed away, broken bridge at Salmon Creek and installed a new steel bridge
Repaired some decking on a bridge near Midlands and built another next one right next to it
New Stove in Gaspereau warming shack
The removal of over 130 older signs to allow for the installation of more then 200 new style
Completed new trail #702, widened and signed into Corbin’s and Tim Horton’s in Minto
Re-routed Trail #15 around NB Coal crossing Rte# 10 At Hydro line near the Baptist Church
Removed Beaver damage, and repaired pipe and wash-out on spur line in New Avon
Brushing and opening the trail from hydro line beside Baptist church to rail line behind New Avon
New Bridge just before the North Forks Road on the Hydro line (Federal Gov’t Funded)

So do me a favor when you’re on the trails this winter - respect and thank the land owners who graciously and unselfishly allow us to use their land. Think about trails, bridges, signs, and shelters that are owned and operated by YOUR club. When you’re sledding with your buddies, ask yourself or them : who cut this trail?, who cut this firewood?, who took their own time to paint this shelter?, who built this bridge?, who groomed this trail? And thank them next time your see them anywhere. Happy and Safe Sledding. Share the addiction - bring a friend snowmobiling!

Mike Barton