Bonsecour Track & Trail Snowmobile Club c/o 660 9th Line< Innisfil, Ontario L9S 3Y5 Email: bonsecour@rogers.com Club Executive Information President: Vice President: Gord Wagg Secretary: Richard Hildebrandt Treasurer: Richard Hildebrandt Meeting Information Place: Various Locations New Members Welcome Trail Information Main Town: Innisfil Total Distance of Trails: 54KM TOP Trail Distance: 8KM Secondary Trail Distance: 46KM IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING TRAILS IN THE INNISFIL AREA FOR 2017-2018: All Bonsecour trails on the East side of Highway 400 no longer exist. These trails have been closed permanently. Developers have recently purchased large tracts of land around Stroud, and their lawyers have instructed them to discontinue allowing use of their land for trails. The trails have been decommissioned, and the landowners will be persuing trespass charges in order to protect themselves. Rerouting around these properties became impossible due in part to the fact that some ridders do not stay on the marked trail. Noisy sled exhausts, and bad behaviour on the part of some riders, were also factors which soured the possiblity of rerouting. The only positive news for the coming season is that the Holly/South Barrie trail has been reopened, but it only heads South towards Alliston. There are no trails leading to, or crossing Highway 90. The issues explained below are still factors affecting a Highway 90 crossing. Sledders are reminded to stay on the trail or we will be posting more notices like this! IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING TRAILS IN THE INNISFIL AREA FOR 2016-2017: The Township of Essa received a petition regarding the snowmobile trail in the area of 30 Sideroad and the 8th Line. Essa did not act on the petition, but did give us one more season (last year). Some irresponsible snowmobilers driving at a high rate of speed caused the petition submission. The option is to go north on the Hydro Corridor, above Essa 30 sideroad...which would involve the construction a bridge for snowmobiles over the Barrie-Collingwood Rail line, as it passes through the corridor and there is no ground access over...a costly undertaking. The rebuild of County Rd 90 to 5 lanes, provides no safe access for crossing this highway; there are no traffic lights in place at the 8th Line. The bridge on the Hydro Corridor (B103) has been vandalized and now closed off with guard rails and concrete. Even if we carried out the repair, costing thousands of dollars, there would be no trail to use. With the trail out of Holly/South Barrie (#527), the Club recently lost a 'key' landowner and at this time, there is no alternative route available. A few weekends ago, the trail team installed the required 'Closed trail' signage. As you may know...the McKay Rd/10th Line bridge no longer exists over Hwy 400 (B103)...a major linking trail to get north and around Barrie ...estimated replacement Fall 2017. Alternate routes have been sought; i.e. railway tunnel north of Innisfil Beach Rd. ..2 tracks and a switch in the way, owned by the City of Barrie , MTO fencing, etc. The 2nd option was the 6th Line of Innisfil which goes under Hwy 400...Landowners would not allow snowmobile trails on their property. No east-west trail or connection this season. These are the reasons that our trails are not on the District 8 or 4 Trail Guide...with a note to check the OFSC Interactive website. We have sent the update into the District 8 office for forwarding on to the OFSC. The Interactive Trail Guide now shows the remaining trails only. On the west side of Hwy 400, the Thornton-Cookstown rail trail (#522) will be open along with a side trail (#524) to the west from Thornton , towards the Alliston & District trails (#424)...you may have to travel west to go north. Alliston Club has now lost land use on their trail (#425) to Angus, eliminating a connecting trail and an optional route around Barrie . We understand that the Snovoyageurs (Barrie) have also lost land use on the north side of County Rd 90, #411 opposite the Alliston trail; as well as, land issues where Interprovincial Trail B103 around Barrie is located. On the east side of Hwy 400, the trail (B103) will be from the 9th line at the lake, heading west to connect to the south trail (#521) to the 2nd line at the lake...creating a north-south trail. For land on the 4th line, the Club is waiting for a Land Use Permission form to be received; in the meanwhile, a temporary solution has been worked out with an additional 1 ½ mi of road to run. After the readings and review of the initial presentation of Bill 100/Ontario Trails Act by the ministry/government, there were easement revisions made to respect the rights of the Landowners. It is the main cause of land use permission being withdrawn across the province...some have changed their positions but others remain wary, refusing winter access. Most likely the riders will be frustrated, but no more disappointed than the club volunteers, who ride as well, have real jobs, and are attempting to establish a trail system with what land is available this season...1/3rd. The Club suggests that the riders respect the trail closures that have been posted as such. Ignoring the warnings and signage can cause more loss of land-use the following season.