The sight of grass in January is not a welcome one for snowmobilers or any group that depends on snow(opens in a new tab) this time of year.
All 30,000 plus snowmobile trails across the province are closed due to lack of snow. This comes on the heels of a report(opens in a new tab) from the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs(opens in a new tab) (OFSC) outlining the economic impact of snowmobiling.
“We haven’t had anything this bad in the past 20 (years) that I can remember,” said John Brenckenridge, the president of the Sault Trailblazers.
OFSC Regional Governor Garnet Greenwood said without snow, businesses that depend on snowmobiling will be losing out on a sizeable amount of money.
“Snowmobiling in the province of Ontario is a $6 billion enterprise to the province,” he said – adding that many tourist outfitters rely heavily on snowmobiling, particularly in communities near the border.
“Especially the Americans, now that they can come across, that was probably the biggest supplier of riders that we’ve had in the past,” said Greenwood.
“Hopefully they’re going to come up again and enjoy once we get our snow.”
Source: northernontario