August was a busy and productive month, with strong progress across advocacy, club support, funding, communications, and administration.
On the advocacy front, we advanced important discussions with Provincial, regional and community leaders in the Caribou region as we attended the 108 ATV Clubs MLA ride in 100 Mile House. This event was a spectacular opportunity to showcase the value of ORV riding in rural communities and allowed us to have open dialogue with key stakeholders to address the opportunity to bring ORV access from the Gold Rush Snowmobile Trail into communities along the trail from Clinton to Wells. I encourage you to read the full report on this event from our ATVBC Director and 108 ATV Club President, Marc Redl.
Work also continued with Recreation Sites & Trails BC on the Chapter 10 project, which is focused on modernizing trail management and standards. We reached out to MLAs in the Cariboo and East Kootenays to arrange meetings on ORV and trail access issues, and connected with industry advocates such as PLUS and Center BC to explore collaboration opportunities.
Planning is also underway for a multi-ministry meeting with the Minister of Local Government & Rural Communities this fall, where we will ensure motorized recreation in rural communities and important changes to the ORV act to facilitate ORV 1815 Permit’s are discussed and addressed. We are also awaiting updates from the province regarding IPCA clarity and how the government’s 30×30 conservation goals may engage the motorized recreation community.
Support for clubs remained a top priority this month. We worked closely with the Grand Forks ATV Club (GFATV), and the Christina Lake Trails Alliance (CLTA) on their advocacy efforts to stop the defunding and closure of the C&W line and the call for government to continue to support this national asset.
We continued to work with a new Hemlock Valley club and facilitated introductions with other Lower Mainland groups. We also met with past members of ATVBC to discuss the history of the Hemlock valley trails and engaged in strategic discussions with the Lost Traction ATV board to support their next steps. These efforts continue to build stronger connections between clubs and ensure they have the resources and guidance they need.
On the funding side, we partnered with Backroad Mapbooks (BRMB) to update promotional materials and prepare new merchandise for the 2025/2026 dealer kits. We also tracked the Environment & Public Safety Sector funding intake and submitted the Polaris Grant application to support future initiatives.
Communications and outreach were another area of focus in August. We shared updates with members around the national Motocanada trail report, continued to connect with dealers for the distribution of our dealer kits and kept up steady engagement with members and partners through regular email and media updates.
Looking ahead, we will continue strengthening partnerships in Tumbler Ridge, Hemlock, Kimberley, and the Cariboo on our ORV Access into communities project. Grant and funding opportunities remain a priority, and we are preparing for important government meetings in September to ensure motorized recreation is represented in provincial discussions.
Last but not least, we are busy putting together the final touches on the annual reports for our Annual General Meeting, set to take place by Zoom on September 23rd. Nominations are now open for our Board of Directors and I encourage our members to reach out if you are interested in learning more about the role of a ATVBC Director. 2025 AGM Nomination form
Go online today and register for our AGM event and join us to learn about all the work ATVBC is doing and how you can get involved.
I hope you have enjoyed a warm and relaxing summer and look forward to our next event (AGM) to share more about all the work ATVBC is doing to support our members, our sport and our future!
Cheers,
Kristin
