Spring F2F in Campbell River a huge success

What a great way to start off the season! The Spring F2F in Campbell River was a huge success that surpassed our

greatest expectations with a record 157 registered delegates! The weekend kicked off with a Meet & Greet networking event on Friday evening, with lots of great discussion and interaction between local clubs, riders, government, business, tourism and rural communities.

[hr]

We awoke on Saturday morning to amazing weather and beautiful views across the ocean, it truly is breathtaking country from the moment the ferry docks, travelling up island the landscape is lush and majestic, instantly casting a peaceful and serene mood. It’s amazing how close the mainland is, yet how infrequently we visit the island. Yes the cost of ferries is often a primary reason for keeping mainlanders away, however when you consider the costs of travel by plane, train or automobile to distant locations, the cost is well worth the trip, especially if you have the time to fully explore all that Vancouver Island has to offer.

ORV Gateway to the North Island

The ORV Gateway to the North Island is an experience that people travel all the way to Arizona to enjoy – travelling on their ORV from community to community, exploring the island from Campbell River on the east coast, right over to Tahsis/Zeballos on the west coast and up to the northern tip. This a 1000 km trail loop with ride-in access to town for food, fuel and lodging that allows riders to ride at their own pace and enjoy other island attractions such as whale watching, fishing, and amazing beaches. From the main route, there is literally an infinite number of trails that allows endless exploring and adventures.

It is due to the hard work and endless dedication by Mike Coulter of the Campbell River ATV Club that this vision has become a reality, with Mike spending several years meeting with communities, town council, RCMP, tourism providers, local and provincial government. Not only has Mike dedicated endless hours attending meetings, there is also endless hours in preparing materials, gathering facts and information on economic impacts and generally educating the public about the benefits of ORV tourism which in the long term will protect our riding areas. Mike also finds time for trails work and getting out on his beloved side by side (pictured below).

Mike was also recently featured in Riderswest Magazine which can be viewed here

Volunteers making a difference

Campbell River is a very lucky region, as not only do they have Mike Coulter, they also have Graham Lindenbach, who is passionate and forward-thinking in his vision for the North Island 1000 route as an attraction for all user groups to enjoy. Graham has also been dedicated to this vision for several years therefore is extremely rewarding that ATVBC was able to support the efforts of these dedicated individuals who are true pioneers of ORV tourism in BC.

[hr]

When we travel down island, we have the Comox ATV Club that has grown and developed into a key player in the advancement of access to private timberlands, thanks to the incredible efforts of Oliver Sayah, and his amazing negotiating skills, the club now has club exclusive land use agreements with Timberwest and Island Timberlands. Oliver also works closely with Brad Davis of the Mid-Island ATV Club to collaborate their efforts and connect riding areas and land use agreements between the two regions. Brad in turn is working with the Cowichan Valley ATV Club to develop land use agreements in that region, to connect their riding areas, with the potential to connect riding routes from Cowichan all the way up to the North Island. This is a huge benefit for the southern island clubs that are surrounded by private timberlands. A fantastic example of clubs working together to connect regions and expand riding areas.

[hr]

The Cowichan Valley ATV Club is a large club with very active members, with lots of great experience in club

management and promotion. The club is active in many initiatives, has remarkable camaraderie amongst it’s members, and has some of the most amazing photos that I have ever seen! With dedicated individuals such as Mike Lees who has spent a lifetime of volunteering and giving to his community, as well as provides huge support to provincial efforts, including attending meetings, workshops and promotional events. Doug Best, a long standing ATVBC Director and advocate for the ATV sport, and Zan Boyle is also very active in public access efforts and sits on the Outdoor Recreation Council’s Public Access Committee ensuring that ORV rider interests are considered. As well a shout out to Cindy Sayers for her promotional ideas… the Cowichan Club has the coolest swag!

Another hardworking club is the Alberni Valley Hill Climbers with dedicated volunteers Len Cherry and Brigitte Arndt diligently working on behalf of the club.

[hr]

These are the people behind the scenes, they spent many hours involved in the F2F Planning Committee, providing endless support from start to finish. It was truly a pleasure and privilege to work with this hardworking, dedicated team, that gives so much of their time, as well were the gracious hosts of the Friday Night Meet & Greet providing complimentary appetizers for everyone.

[hr]

ATVBC Directors, Clint Ingham and David Douglas, should also be recognized for their outstanding effort and dedication. Clint is our technical guru and handled all aspects of the webcast, his IT skills and calm demeanour is a huge asset to ATVBC. Clint’s work schedule required he return early on Sunday morning, therefore he was up at 3am to catch the first ferry home… now that’s dedication!

We also received incredible support and sponsorship from local dealers, tourism providers, and CFMoto who provided a most delicious complimentary lunch that was served oceanside…. talk about great food and great company!

We would also like to acknowledge the presentation by Oksana Buhel from COHV, as she delivered an enlightening presentation on how things are done in the eastern provinces relating to registration, licensing, fees and access to public roads. We would also like to thank Vic Bartel for providing an informative presentation on ORV riding in Arizona, it’s inspiring to hear about such well developed destination riding and tourism.

Last but not least, is a huge thank you to our conference speakers that delivered interesting and thought-provoking presentations, from local politicians, community administrators, provincial government, tourism development, national affiliate, and member clubs. The intellectual content and insights shared by these subject matter experts is vital to anyone who is a rider, involved in club management or ORV tourism.

[hr]

We are pleased to share a Youtube video compiled by Travis Atkinson of Campbell River Boatland for your viewing pleasure.

Keep scrolling to visit the ATVBC website to view the F2F photo gallery to see our outstanding line up of speakers in action as well as all the amazing networking and collaboration moments.

[hr]

Here’s some feedback we’ve heard:

Thank you for the invitation to participate at the F2F conference. I found it to be a completely worthwhile endeavour and the organization of the event and topic areas you identified reflected a very strategic focus to ATVBC’s work. This focus and hard work, which I consistently see coming from ATVBC will serve the organization well. Please forward my thanks to the Planning Committee and the Board.

Thanks for the great conference. All I’ve heard is positive comments.

The 2018 face to face conference in Campbell River was a great success with a focus on ATV tourism and access on Vancouver Island. Thank you to ATVBC for all your work to make this happen.

It was sure nice to see so many from the Island clubs and what they have accomplished.

I missed the ride but the f2f was fantastic. Good food, great company, and very informative. The up Island clubs as well as Cindy and Paul did a wonderful job. A big thank you.