Like every other Canadian, you absolutely understand the meaning of winter. As a kid playing outside and in the snow, it was always a good time. Fresh air, warm clothes, good friends all combined for a fun day outside. Flash forward fifty years and here I am looking forward to the excitement and fun of playing outside as a grown up kid. Is that an oxymoron?? There are lots of winter activities available to do in the area. Trail walks, cross country skiing, ice hockey, skating, curling are just a few. Today let's look at snowmobiling.

With a dedicated group of volunteers, the Dun-Ahmic Snowriders Snowmobile Club. (www.facebook.com/Dun-Ahmic-SnowRiders-1538105273139124/ or find them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DunAhmic ) has been maintaining trails in this area of District 10 (D10) within the network of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC- https://www.ofsc.on.ca/ ) of trails. Our Club is responsible for the clearing and winter grooming of these trails, as well as, staking the various lakes that are part of the trail system, ensuring up to date signage, both directional and informative. The Club also looks after administration of Landowner Agreements for the trails that cross private property. The OFSC provides the Districts with industrial groomers and grooming drags to maintain and smooth out the main trails like the Seguin or the 101, two major links between Districts. Other trails, like the 800 series, are looked after by the volunteers using Club owned snowmobiles and smaller drags.. A majority of these trails travel across the lakes of the area which, for safety reasons, are not accessed by the larger groomers. With groomers, snowmobiles, drags, volunteers, time and some hard work, these trails are looked after to ensure that trail pass holders have a safe and satisfying ride ahead of them. Nothing but clear sailing, I mean, clear sledding ahead!

Time and money. That's what it takes. Time generously donated through the dedicated group of volunteers. When you purchase your trail pass and by letting the OFSC know that your preferred club is Dun-Ahmic Snowriders, not only does this indicate the number of riders in our area, it can also provide a list of potential volunteers.

Administration and marketing are handled centrally along with insurance that offers an extensive OFSC liability policy. This policy ensures that there is adequate coverage for the owners of private lands who allow trails to cross. Each district is allocated annual funds for fuel, repairs to groomers, supplies, signage etc. Replacement of old and worn equipment is funded by the District within their budget constraints.

It seems that every year that number is shrinking, and all the clubs are having to find more inventive ways to secure funds. When buying your Seasonal Trail Pass and selecting your ”Club”, you may think the money from that sale goes to that club. WIth changes to the formula in 2016, the result was that all permit revenues now go directly to OFSC. The OFSC then distributes operating funds to the Districts, ours being District 10, to manage on behalf of all of the clubs within each District. That Club then sets up its budget which requires approval from the District. The biggest challenge is for capital funding of our Skandics used for the grooming of trails. These workhorses are an intrical part of the grooming operations. Yes fuel and maintenance is covered in the budgeting, but the replacement of these machines is not. At this time, Dun-Ahmic Snowriders have three Skandic Snowmobiles, down from our usual pool of four. Last year we were forced to eliminate a sled as repairs required were extensive and would not be covered by the OFSC.

I do enjoy snowmobiling. I do enjoy the time I put in with the Dun-Ahmic Snowriders, volunteering and working on the trails. Sometimes frustrating, always rewarding. Being involved and helping out. I hope this winter when you are enjoying your morning coffee, looking over the frozen lake, and the volunteer with the groomer goes by, you might consider putting yourself in their place. Or take a moment the next time you're on the trails. They wouldn't be here if it weren't for the hard work of that small army of volunteers. The backbone of the Federation. Doing it for the love of the sport. Perhaps the next time you buy your trail pass why not ‘click yes’ when asked about your interest in volunteering for the club. Why not consider donating some time or some money to the club? Most MLCA members have direct access to the lake and I'm sure a large percentage of these members are snowmobilers, giving you the advantage of easy access to the trails. Talk about hassle free convenience to start out your day of sledding. No trailering required. You can easily check out the trail conditions at https://ofsc.evtrails.com/# . Then head on out for a winter adventure … with a valid trail pass of course.

Phil Jefkins - VP - Dun-Ahmic Snowriders Snowmobile Club

January 2022

too many lone drivers of seadoos towing one or two tubers behind and having no "spotter." I encourage the stretched OPP marine units to focus on these dangerous practices and be less concerned about boats not having baling buckets or flashlights that don't work. Such an action plan may well save lives or prevent serious injury. - Ken Galloway

August 09, 2019

We thank you for your patience during this time of transition. We know that as fans and loyal customers of The Ridge, youve been invested in the fate of the club along with us. It goes without saying that your ongoing support of the club over the years and especially this year was greatly appreciated. It has been a great testament to the community and base we have at The Ridge! We will continue to update you as new information is made available.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year with best wishes to you and your families. Sincerely, Drew Rachar, General Manager/Course Superintendent, The Ridge at Manitou Golf Club.

March 07, 2018

The government has indicated the proposals will only apply to the highest income earners in the country and not the middle class. This is false and misleading. The rules will apply to small businesses and their owners. Below is a simple example of one of the proposed changes that will likely go through.

1. Husband and wife equally own a construction company in rural Ontario. Husband works full-time in the business and wife looks after the household, kids and volunteers her time for a number of organizations.

2. The company earns $100,000 per year and pays corporate taxes at the rate of 10%. The after-tax income available to pay dividends to husband and wife would, therefore, be $90,000.

3. The after-tax income of the company is paid out to husband and wife in dividends of $45,000 each per year.

4. Husband and wife have no other income or deductions to report on their personal income tax returns.

Personal Taxes to pay if rules do not change:

Husband: $1,885

Wife: $1,885

Total Personal Tax: $3,770

Personal Taxes to pay if proposed rules go through (effective January 1, 2018):

Husband: $1,885

Wife: $20,385

Total Personal Tax: $22,270

The income tax increase to this family if this tax proposal goes through would be a whopping $18,500 increase, or close to 600% and could be significant to this family. This is what our government is saying is fair. That is ridiculous!

This is just one of the proposals. There are many more proposals that can significantly impact small businesses and their owners, including companies that may just own investments.

For more information you can go to the website: www.reducetaxes.ca and view the "Our Blog" tab. If you would like to know if any of the proposed rules will apply to you or your business, you can contact David Patten, CPA, CGA, of Patten Professional Corporation, who is also a member of the MLCA and lives in McKellar, 705-774-9000 or david@reducetaxes.ca There is still some time to look at implementing tax planning before the end of 2017 to mitigate the impact that the proposals could have on you.

In fact, Audubon's models suggest that 314 bird species of 588 studied will lose more than 50 percent of their current climatic range by 2080 due to habitat disruption brought on by climate change.