Imagine having to duck and dodge as you weave your way across the beautiful Alberta landscape too busy keeping an eye out for low branches and fallen trees to enjoy the view.
The riders of the Northern Lights Snowmobile Club (NLSC) know exactly how that feels, and decided they were going to do something about it.
Clair Wilson, Director of the NLSC, and Curtis Kager of B&B Wilson took an afternoon trip last winter on their snowmobiles with their families, but stopped because of the state of the trails up ahead. Wilson and Kager continued down the trail, and didn’t like what they saw.
“Our families all stayed out and didn’t come in because the trail was no good,” Clair said. “We (Clair and Kager) went on to the Goodridge cabin and when we came out we said, we don’t care what it costs or anything, we are just going to fix it.”
Maria Wilson, Clair’s wife and Secretary for the NLSC, remembers that day clearly, and said she supported her husband’s decision 100 per cent.
“I have this huge amount of pride for him,” she said. “He gives everything he’s got, so when he says he is going to do something like this, it’s a really good feeling.”
Maria added that this isn’t the first project the pair have worked on with the community in mind.
“Everything they do is always community in thought, it’s what can we do to make it better for everybody else, and never with any recognition in mind,” she said.
Dale Bentz, a trail coordinator for the NLSC, agreed with Maria.
“The community is lucky to have people like Curtis, Clair and Dale Tonsi,” he said.
The NLSC received approval for a $17,500 grant from the National Trail Coalition (NTC) in February, after previously receiving $15,000 from the Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA), a grant that was matched by services provided by B&B Wilson.
“The first $15,000 was a matching grant, but Clair and B&B Wilson said they would do $30,000 worth of work for that $15,000,” Bentz said, adding the company donated the funds back to the club, along with a groomer.
“That was the money we were able to use for the NTC grant,” Bentz said.
Since then, Bentz has applied for another grant through the ASA.
“Clair didn’t want to quit after we did the NTC project, so I applied for another $12,000 from the ASA, and we put that into the project too,” he said.
Before the upgrades to the trail were complete, stumps, fallen trees and low hanging branches were just some of the obstacles riders would face.
“It was very hazardous, lots of harshly cut trees angling into the trail,” Bentz said, adding clearing the trail before consisted of cutting a space big enough to fit through.
Approximately 60 kilometres of trail were cleared with the crew working for 10 days in the spring, and even more time in the fall.
“Clair was leaving home at seven in the morning and not coming home until dark,” Maria said.
When asked why he was so dedicated to the project, Clair said for the same reason the others who donated their time did, the community.
“We just grew up that way, and if it has to do with kids and families and outdoor sports it’s all good,” he said.
Bentz said a few years ago the club was considering closing its doors, because of the lack of public interest.
“We’re not getting anywhere and we can’t do anything, and then Curtis and Clair and a bunch of others said just wait a minute here, we will fix this right up.”
“I would have to say that without Curtis, Clair, and Dale Tonsi, we wouldn’t have a club,” Bentz said. “We handed over nothing to these people and now we have a phenomenal trail system, a good core group of interested people, and I think it was a real huge boost not only for the club, but for the community.”
The trails can now accommodate families looking to enjoy the sport together, and since the upgrades the NLSC has seen a climb in the number of users.
“It made the trail safe for all levels of snowmobilers,” Bentz said.
Allowing riders of all kinds in the spring, summer, and fall months was one of the stipulations of the NTC, however the trails on private land are not maintained and are restricted to winter use.
“Part of the trail on the crown land is open for horse back riding, hiking, and ATV use,” Bentz said.
