Who Keeps the Ontario Snow Trails Alive?

Royal Distributing recently had the opportunity to meet some of the leaders within the OFSC structure of riding clubs from across Ontario while attending the Annual General Meeting, and wanted to learn about the challenges these clubs face in an ever-shifting riding environment. Volunteering was the big topic of the weekend, caring for thousands of snow trails can be labor intense, but helping out doesn't mean the work can't be fun as well! Many of these riding clubs form smaller communities of dedicated trail groomers that spend time together clearing obstacles, preparing the snow coverage, and brushing the trails to keep their rides smooth and safe for themselves and their surrounding wider communities.

We spoke to a few prominent members in these communities, as well as Sydney Carriere, recipient of the Youth of the Year award for her volunteer efforts to learn more about what the volunteer experience is really like on the trails. Sydney is an enthusiastic teenager, enjoying the simple joys of riding as a social outlet with her friends and family. Riding connects her to her community in unique ways, which inspired her to participate in the District 15 riding club in their trail maintenance efforts. By turning volunteer maintenance into a social activity Sydney comes back week after week to join the club meetings with her dad after hockey practice, and enjoys helping with simple tasks like checking the bridges, trail signage, the flooding of creeks, and general trail patrol. She also contributes by caring for the all-important warm-up shacks, keeping her and her friends comfortable as they ride.

Youth volunteers are crucial to the survival of these riding clubs, as older members gradually become less able to do physical tasks, they tend to assume leadership and administrative roles but always offer their experience as mentorship opportunities to the younger generation. We Spoke to Al Kinch, a riding club president from the Smith's Falls and Kingston area about how he brings in volunteers. Al spoke passionately about the importance of keeping younger riders in the loop about what is needed on the trails through their social media, and making sure that volunteering is always an enjoyable activity. He proudly knows the favorite foods and favorite activities of his volunteership, and professes the importance of being involved in their lives as a president. Offering transactional benefits like volunteer hours to the high schoolers always helps, but establishing a real, personal connection is what really counts when it comes to volunteer retention.

Also at the AGM was Darren McKray, the district manager of district 1, speaking on the topic of volunteership. Darren looks closer at the nature of volunteer work, noting that there are many different opportunities for getting involved, both on the trails and at the computer with administrative and coordination assistance. Making sure that volunteers are actually placed in areas of their interests and skillsets is key to keeping volunteers on board long-term, and that starts with Al's point of getting to know your volunteers better. Improved onboarding procedures at the riding clubs can help volunteers land where they would enjoy the community the most, and the right placement can make all the difference in their satisfaction and attendance to club functions.

We had the pleasure of speaking to Karen Morley, a retiree and volunteer of 25 years with district 12. Karen has occupied a variety of roles related to volunteer coordination, and has participated in a few committees for community engagement. She offered a different perspective on volunteership, highlighting the events and activities the clubs offer outside of trail maintenance or administrative work. Her personal favorite is the poker run, in which riders follow a trail and pause at different stops to collect a random playing card, at the end of the trail they see if they've collected a winning poker hand, and win a prize! Other events include the Cavalcade of Colors, a county fair style public event, and the Santa vs. Grinch Food Back run. Keeping volunteership deeply connected to community outreach is important to keep at the center of all OFSC efforts.

At it's core, volunteering is a connection to community and family. It's a labor of love and a way to keep everyone's favorite winter activity active and safe for everybody. If you enjoy the snow trails in Ontario, consider reaching out to your local riding club to ask about volunteer opportunities and ways to get more involved, they will always need extras hands to maintain the trails and the results are unspeakably valuable to yourself and the riding community at a whole. Dedicated and passionate riders are, and will always be, the lifeblood of the OFSC.