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PRINCE ALBERT, SASKATCHEWAN
Dedicated sledders
Despite a fluctuating membership, the Snowrunners keep plowing on
by TANYA LAING MOORE
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GROUP GET-TOGETHER: Members of the Prince Albert Snowrunners take advantage of some of the spectacular snowfall the area enjoyed last season.
—photos by Rob Venn |
Rob Venn of the Prince Albert Snowrunners believes that the club has changed in the last number of years, but the heart of the snowmobiling association is still strong and active longtime members who continue to make a difference. The numbers are down from previous years in terms of membership, but with the amazing snowfall last year, the club may rebound with new enthusiastic members and volunteers.
“We try to have our members bring new people in every year,” said Venn.
Venn said that loyalty to the association is strong, especially among longtime members.
“Another member and I have been with the club for approximately 25 years,” he said. “I was a member at one time when I could not afford a sled—but I enjoyed helping out with club activities.”
For the love of the sport
Venn said that the club’s core members have always been willing to go above and beyond for the sake of the association and for snowmobiling in the community.
“We have always had members in our club who carry more than their share of the weight,” said Venn. “When issues arose, someone was only a phone call away to deal with a problem.”
The Snowrunners’ small numbers don’t prevent them from enjoying their association and they are pleased to help out other members of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association (SSA).
“We get together once a month and plan our weekend trips,” said Venn. “Some we plan months in advance and some are on the spur of the moment, depending on such things as weather and snow conditions. We have a weekend planned for February ’08 already. We also help with ticket sales for the SSA.”
The evolving face of the club has put more focus on riding—the key reason for the association’s beginnings.
“We’re just a riding club now,” said Greg Siegel, past president and member of the Snowrunners since 1981. “We decided to just enjoy going out riding as a group and support all the other clubs around the local area.”
Many of the members of the Snowrunners are happy to join with and help out the Candle Lake and Christopher Lake snowmobile clubs, especially as their trail systems interconnect with the Prince Albert trails. When the Snowrunners opted to become a riding club only, they donated their signage and equipment to the nearby associations.
The best trails in the world
The snowmobilers in Prince Albert are certainly no less active because of the change in the club’s focus, according to Siegel.
“Our trails are established and people are still riding on them and using them,” he said. “Most people—families especially—might have two or three sleds and they go riding on their own. (Prince Albert) is a starting point. People ride from here up to the lakes . . . because we’re connected with all the trails to Nipawin, Hudson Bay and down to Norquay.”
Siegel believes that Prince Albert is blessed with great riding potential.
“We’ve got some of the best trails in the world right here,” he said. “They’re interconnected, and the clubs near Christopher Lake and Emma Lake really put a lot of work into them.”
Siegel said the riding last winter was some of the best the region has seen in years.
“Our riding area is the Candle Lake area,” he said, “and there was just tons of snow last year. The trails are just a way to get to the play areas. There’s an area just south of Candle Lake—it’s a big hay meadow with lots of willow bushes in it. We had some big storms last year so we had some 10-, 15-foot drifts. It was just a blast. We were in there last spring—around the end of March or the first part of April—and the snow was nice and soft.
Lots of jumping and playing around—the snow was up over your waist in the deep areas.”
Siegel said the club enjoys longer trips, often over the weekend, including group rides to places like Hudson Bay.
“It’s the camaraderie and the getting out,” he said. “The group of guys that we have, we all know how each other rides and we ride safe—we ride fast, but we ride safe.”
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