Federation News. Office Closed for the Holidays

Transcription

1 New Brunswick All Terrain Vehicle Federation Federation News December 2007 Season s Greeting from the President and Staff Inside this issue: Federation 2007 AGM + Elections + AQCC Board + Regional + Jamboree Meetings + Safety Training + Lottery Membership stickers 2 3 Your Federation s President Zénon Landry, General Manager Jacques Poirier and Staff take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Government amendments to the Off-Road Vehicle Act and subsequent discussions on the changes to the regulations occupied an important part of our time and effort during We made progress with land access with DOT. A Strategic Development Plan is being developed to help with the Federation s future direction. We are committed to providing our clubs and members with the most professional service. We believe in the future of recreational and tourism ATVing. We are promoting the safe and responsible use of all-terrain vehicles. Please lead by example and drive your ATV safely. Enjoy the holidays. President + General Manager Meetings/Activities Celebrating and Communicating our Successes - Federation News is two Years Old NBATVF Office Federation News is two (2) years old. It was launched in January We published nineteen (19) issues in the first year and fourteen (14) in the second. This issue covers the Federation s activities for the past four (4) months (September, October, November and December 2007). We unfortunately lost our Policy Analyst at the end of August 2007, which made us unable to publish our Federation News. The Federation recognizes the importance of communication with its clubs and members. We are determined to improve and maintain communication and this newsletter is an important tool. We will hire a Communication Coordinator in early 2008 to keep you up to date on the accomplishments, goals and activities of the NBATVF and its member clubs Hanwell Road, Unit C Hanwell, New Brunswick E3C 1M4 Phone: (506) or (506) Fax: (506) nbatving@nb.aibn.com Office Closed for the Holidays The Federation s Office on Hanwell Road (Fredericton area) will be closed for the Holidays from December 24, 2007 to January 2, 2008 inclusively. Federation Staff Cathy Comeau, Ben Cyr and Jacques Poirier wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2 Page 2 Federation s 2007 Annual General Meeting The Federation s 2007 Annual General Meeting was held on September 23, 2007 in Miramichi City. Delegates reviewed the past year s accomplishments, approved the Federation s budget and elected new officers. Delegates decided that the next Annual General Meeting will be held in the Spring rather than the Fall. The 2008 Annual General Meeting will thus be held on Sunday April 27 in Miramichi City. Delegates also decided to form an ad hoc Committee to look at the question of membership and passes. This will also include issues surrounding clubs territory. Federation Elections 2007 During the Federation s 2007 Annual General Meeting delegates elected a new Vice-President, re-elected the Treasurer and elected a new Director at-large. These positions are for a term of two (2) years with no limit to the number of successive terms. Congratulation to the successful candidates! Daniel Boucher Vice-President Paul Branscombe Treasurer Allison Al Gallop Director At-Large All Terrain Quad Council of Canada Federation President Zénon Landry and General Manager Jacques Poirier attended the September 14, 2007 national conference organised by the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV) and the All Terrain Quad Council of Canada (AQCC). It was held in Halifax, NS. The idea of a National ATV/Quad Association was born at the COHV National Conference in 2001 called "meeting of the minds". Until 2007 most of the Provincial rider federations were in their infancy and lacked the financial strength to move the idea forward. AQCC was officially established on September 14, Jacques Poirier is a member of the Board of Directors representing New Brunswick and Zenon Landry acts as an Alternate Director. AQCC is a Federation of Provincial Riders Federations. Current members are: Quad Riders Association of British Columbia (ATV/ BC) Alberta Off Highway Vehicle Association (AOHVA) Saskatchewan All-Terrain Vehicle Association Inc (SATVA) Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV) Fédération Québécoise des Clubs Quads (FQCQ) New Brunswick All Terrain Vehicle Federation Inc. / Fédération des Véhicules Tout-Terrain du Nouveau- Brunswick (NBATVF / FVTTNB Inc.) PEI ATV All Terrain Vehicle Association of Nova Scotia (ATVANS) Avalon Trailway Corporation (AVTRAC) Newfoundland Future Members The following province and territories expect to become members of AQCC: Manitoba, North West Territories and Nunavut. Mandate of AQCC The mandate of AQCC is simple; "to improve the sport of All Terrain Vehicle/Quad Riding nationally". National Safety Committee Although safety instruction cannot guarantee safe, responsible behaviour, AQCC believes it can provide the knowledge and skill for riders to manage and minimize the risks associated with allterrain/quad vehicle operation. To address safety issues, training and standards, AQCC formed a National Safety Committee composed of : Sheila Campbell (Nova Scotia), Danny Gagnon (Quebec), Rick Noseworthy (Newfoundland), and Jacques Poirier (New Brunswick). You will find more information on the AQCC on their website at:

3 Page 3 Board of Directors Meetings Your Federation s Board of Directors met in Miramichi City on September 22 and in Fredericton on December 2, At their September meeting they decided to return the Saint John ATV Club and the Sussex Valley ATV Club to Region 5. These Clubs were previously assigned to Region 6 from Region 5. At their December meeting the Directors decided to advertise for a Communication Coordinator to enhance communication with the Federation Clubs, its members and the public in general. Regional Meetings Region 6 Federation General Manager Jacques Poirier met with the Club delegates from Region 6 in October Donald St. Pierre was re-elected Director. David Hatt was elected new Director. Region 7 Federation President Zénon Landry and General Manager Jacques Poirier met with the Club delegates from Region 7 on December 1, Allison Kent was re-elected Director. Ed Dickinson was elected new Director. Region 7 has one Director vacant position. Safety Training New Instructors We now have two (2) new Safety Instructors. In early November, both Troy Gallagher and Jacques Poirier took the Safety Instructors training in Edmundston and were certified by the Canada Safety Council as ATV Rider Training Course Instructors. They took their training from Daniel Boucher, Chief Instructor. Troy will offer safety training in Region 7 (mostly the Chipman/Minto areas). Jacques will provide safety training in Region 5 (mostly in Kent County). Congratulation to the new Instructors! Free ATV Rider Safety Courses Your Federation went ahead with free ATV Rider Safety courses on a first-come firstserved basis for children under the age of 16 (6 to 15 years of age). Since June 2007, more than two hundred and eighty seven (287) youngsters have taken this free training. Photo from AQCC The Federation will offer the free safety courses until June It may be possible in some areas of the province to provide the training during the winter months. To register a child for this course, please communicate with the Federation s Office Jamboree Committee Federation s Jamboree Committee met in Moncton on November 26, 2007 to discuss club eligibility criteria to host a provincial jamboree, timing (summer and/or winter), funding and Lottery 2008 Tickets for the 2008 Federation Provincial Lottery are on sale. As in the past, tickets are sold by clubs at $5 each. The club keeps $3 and $2 goes to the Federation. This lottery is an excellent fund raiser for member clubs. Prizes will be drawn during the 2008 Annual General Meeting in Miramichi City on Sunday April 27, revenues, etc. As yet, there is no host club for our Provincial Jamboree in Membership Decals Federation s member clubs are now selling the Federation 2008 membership decals. For each sticker sold, $10 is sent to the Federation. Any additional membership fees remain with your club. Please support your Federation and your club. Invite your friends to buy a membership.

4 Page 4 Federation President and General Manager Meetings and Activities During the past four (4) months your President and General Manager were involved in numerous meetings and activities. We will present in this article those not already mentioned in this newsletter. New Adventure Trails Interactive CD and Activity Book On October 3, 2007, the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicles Distributors Council (COHV) and the All-Terrain Vehicles Federation of New Brunswick (NBATV) introduced the new Adventure Trails interactive CD and activity book to be used by ATV Clubs, law enforcement, safety organizations, schools and the general public as the most innovative and effective way to teach young ATV riders the rules around riding safely. Motorcycle & ATV Shows With the involvement of Federation General Manager Jacques Poirier, COHV issued a news release on October 3, 2007 on Canada s Largest Motorcycle & ATV Shows expanding to the Maritimes in The Motorcycle & Moped Industry Council (MMIC), the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV) and Master Promotions Ltd. are well on their way to guaranteeing that the first annual 2008 Atlantic Motorcycle & Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) show in Moncton, New Brunswick on February 15 17, 2008, has something for everyone. Radio Interview On October 4, 2007, Federation General Manager Jacques Poirier and Region 5 Director Herman Berry did an interview with Moncton Radio Stations C-103 and XL96 on youth ATV safety. Can-Am The Ride Says It All Event Federation President Zénon Landry and General Manager Jacques Poirier participated in The Ride Says It All Tour event organized by Can-Am and your Federation. The event was held on October 20th and 21st. Participants had the opportunity to take a Can-Am for a free test drive and a chance to win a DS450 from BRP Can-Am. Salon National Quad Your Federation was invited to participate in the Salon National Quad in Laval (Montréal)Québec from October 26 to 28, Federation President Zénon Landry and General Manager Jacques Poirier were available to provide information on New Brunswick ATV activities. In addition to the Federation`s display, visitors were able to visit exhibits on ATV related products and services: clothes, accessories, insurance, security, vehicles, maintenance products, and recreational tourism activities. More than 100 exhibitors participated. Meeting with Miramichi City On November 7, 2007 Federation President Zénon Landry, General Manager Jacques Poirier, Trail Coordinator Ben Cyr and members of the Outback Trail Runners ATV Club (Miramichi) met with representatives from the City of Miramichi to discuss ATV access to the abandoned rail line in the Chatham/Loggieville area. The City is open to the idea of providing access to ATV if DNR (who owns the line) agrees. Trail Management Trust Fund Advisory Board Meeting On November 8, 2007, Federation President Zénon Landry and General Manager Jacques Poirier attended a meeting of the Trail Management Trust Fund Advisory Board to discuss disbursement of funds to the Federation and its clubs. Payments from the Trust Fund are made twice a year based on ATV registrations. There is a slight increase in ATV registrations this year: 33,360 in 2006 and 35,000 in First Meeting of the National Safety Committee On November 9 and 10, 2007 Federation General Manager Jacques Poirier attended in Toronto the first meeting of the National Safety Committee established by the new organisation AQCC (All Terrain Quad Council of Canada). Participants discussed the existing ATV related legislation across the Country and ways of improving safety training for the youth. Inspection Visit to Assess Trail Damages On November 28, 2007 Federation President Zénon Landry, General Manager Jacques Poirier, Trail Coordinator Ben Cyr and a member of the Restigouche ATV Club VTT made an inspection visit on the abandoned rail line between Saint- Quentin and Glencoe (ATV access outside the winter months) to assess the damages done by mother nature on approximately fifteen (15) kilometres. Repairs will be expensive. Discussions with DNR and other stakeholders are continuing to resolve funding issue.

5 Page 5 Federation President and General Manager Meetings and Activities, continued Promotion Tools On December 5, 2007 Federation President Zénon Landry Création MR and General Manager Jacques Poirier met with Création MR, a promotional design firm in Tracadie-Sheila, to examine various promotional materials for Federation display, brochures, posters, etc. Closed Course Visit Further to the adoption of Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Off- Road Vehicle Act, your Federation has been consulted on various aspects of draft Regulations. In order to become familiar with the concept of Closed Course the Department of Public Safety organized a visit to Nova Scotia to experience first hand what it is. Representatives from Public Safety, the New Brunswick All Terrain Vehicle Federation and the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs went to Nova Scotia on December 6 and 7, Federation President Zénon Landry and General Manager Jacques Poirier were part of the delegation. What is a Closed Course in Nova Scotia? In December 2005 the Province of Nova Scotia introduced new laws regarding the operation of Off-highway Vehicles (OHVs). One notable change includes the development of closed courses. These closed courses are designed to ensure that youth who operate OHVs are doing so in a safe and controlled environment. In practical terms, a closed course is a facility which is designed and managed to provide a safe, controlled environment where trained OHV users 6 years of age and older can ride OHVs. Off-Road Safety Committee On December 12, 2007, Federation General Manager Jacques Poirier attended a meeting of the Provincial Off-Road Safety Committee. The concept of Closed Course was discussed further to the visit in Nova Scotia. Vehicles side-by-side were also part of the discussion. Agreement with Irving On December 12, 2007, Federation President Zénon Landry and Trail Coordinator Ben Cyr met with Irving representatives in Saint-Leonard to discuss access to Irving lands. Irving representatives reinforced their policy that an ATV user must be a member of the Federation to be allowed to use Irving lands. Seasonal Greetings! From the New Brunswick All Terrain Vehicle Federation

6 Page 6 The New Brunswick All Terrain Vehicle Federation wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Enjoy Safe ATVing!