November Newsletter

November 8, 2023

Message from the President

Over the past few months, I have attended several committee calls and want to express my thanks for those taking part. As well, Barry and I attended a meeting with Orlando Fraser (head Conservation Officer) and his executive director, Peter Geddes, to address some of the concerns (enforcement, property rights, communication, and safety).

I have also fielded many questions concerning the Road Trails Act from clubs/members, the public and municipal officials. I have had discussions with representatives of the Town of Yarmouth and am pleased that council passed a bylaw on October 26, allowing OHV legal access to Water Street, joining two sides of a major rail trail connecting Digby to Yarmouth and back up the South Shore. This is a significant trail connection for Southwest Nova Scotia.

I also attended the ATVANS Jamboree at Fox Mountain. I did not ride but as always the volunteers were top notch at the event.

Kevin Lombard
President, ATVANS

ATVANS Executive Director, BarryBarnet (second from left) with Yarmouth Council following passage of the bylaw.

Executive Director Report

Busy Times at ATVANS

The fall is always a busy time of the year for our organization. With new trail permits going to clubs, members renewing online and a host of events and projects just to fill the agenda. This however we add in a new staff hire, an office move, the Road Trails act, a new ticket lottery and storm damage to the work load just to name a few extra tasks. I have also been busy meeting with government officials, committee meetings and working with our staff and board to move ATVANS forward. We launched some new partnerships, including Adventure Motors as the key supporter of the ATVANS lottery, Kawasaki Canada as a sponsor, Royal Distributing as a partner and more on the way.

Although there seems to be lots of distractions we remain focused on advancing our organization and growing the sport while promoting safe responsible riding across Nova Scotia.

Barry Barnet
Executive Director, ATVANS

Lottery Draw Lowdown

ATVANS Ticket Lottery Well Underway!

With the support of Adventure Motors in New Glasgow the ticket lottery is progressing nicely. Nearly every club has agreed to sell tickets with close to 60,000 tickets distributed to clubs already. Clubs can book the fully outfitted lottery trailer that includes the grand prize Kawasaki 750 Brute Force, tables, chairs, signs, and a pop-up shelter.

The trailer has already visited New Glasgow for the lottery launch, the Wharf Rat Rally with two clubs, the ATVANS Jamboree, and the Marine Riders Porters Lake shopping area. The trailer will also be making an appearance at Shore Cycle for their upcoming Grand Opening. In addition, clubs have booked it for future events and Christmas at the Malls.

To book the trailer clubs must contact Tom Arnold at vp2@atvans.org

The Prize draw will once again take place at the Atlantic Outdoor Sports and RV show in March.

2023 Small Grant Fund Update

The ATVANS Small Grant program is well underway, however a large amount of funding remains available.

As previously communicated, the total small grant fund was increased this year from $100,000 to $150,000 and the amount available per project increased from $5,000 to $7,500. Please note, our total funds available for this year show more than $150,000 due to a club returning a portion of their approved funds for a 2022 small grant.

Any questions about the small grant fund or if clubs would like to submit a small grant application, please contact Eric Rideout by phone at 902-225-5217 or by email at atvans-trails@atvans.org.

Small grant forms can be found on our website. Please note that you must be logged into the website to view this section of the site.

https://atvans.wildapricot.org/Small-Grant-Program/

Office Move Accommodates Growing ATVANS Team

and Membership

If you’ve ever visited the former ATVANS office at 11-Glendale Ave in Lower Sackville, you’ll know the space was crowded and often filled with boxes.

After eight years of operating in a 100-square foot office, the organization has moved their headquarters into a more spacious 1000-square foot facility, just a couple blocks away at 298 Cobequid Road.

The new location has a spacious entrance area, two offices, and a boardroom table in the back.

Members are invited to visit and check out the new ATVANS base on Saturday, November 25 during an open house event.

Volunteer of the Month

Allison MacDonald

From left to right: Tim Densmore, Darrell Murdock (Vice President), Donnie Holmes, Dexter McCallum, Greg O’Shea, Allison MacDonald

Shortly after taking the reins of the North Shore ATV Club in March of this year, Allison MacDonald was contacted by landowners who had concerns about the condition of the OHV trail crossing their property. Allison met with the landowners to discuss their concerns and then successfully applied for an ATVANS Small Grant to assist with a $16,000 project to repair 15 km of trail 551 between Glen Rd and Hwy 256. Trail 551 is the main connector route between the rail corridor to the north and the trail network to the south and east of Gully Lake Wilderness Protected Area. While the club received a cash donation from one the effected property owners, in addition to assistance from the Dalhousie Mountain Snowmobile Club, the largest donation came from the team of volunteers who performed the work. Frequent social media posts by Allison kept our riders informed of their progress and brought several more volunteers out to help. Allison and his team of ten showed their dedication by working through the hottest part of the summer and completing the project in just 3 weeks.

Hats off to Allison and his team for maintaining this vital piece of OHV infrastructure!

Fun on the Trails

Over the past month, several autumn fun-runs and rallies have been organized by clubs and enjoyed by riders across Nova Scotia. Here’s some memories from a few of those events: