Tuesday, March 22, 2016

A farmer on P.E.I. is fed up with snowmobilers, trying to pass a law making riding in ditches illegal (Prince Edward Island Canada)

Calls for the ban were heard last week during a presentation to P.E.I.'s Standing Committee on Agriculture. Randy Pitre, manager of a blueberry field in Albany blamed snowmobilers for causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to the fields.

Pitre manages a 400-acre blueberry field in Alberry Plains, P.E.I. where he says trespassing snowmobilers have caused an estimated $20,000 to $25,000 in damage.

According to P.E.I.'s Off-Highway Vehicle Act, off-road vehicles are permitted to travel in ditches. Pitre said operators are using those to link to farmers' fields where they're often travelling without permission.

"I have a problem with that. They're travelling from farm field to farm field. The ditches are allowing them to do that."

Pitre says off-road vehicles should be restricted to operating either on private property owned by the operator, or in designated areas

The head of the P.E.I. Snowmobile Association says banning off-road vehicles from driving in the ditches could ruin the industry.

Dale Hickox said the industry would be hurt if snowmobilers couldn't travel in the ditches to get to the trails.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/snowmobile-ditch-safety-private-property-damage-1.3480582
https://www.facebook.com/CBCPEI/posts/10153326000836175

In other Canadian snowmobile news,

the Minister of Transport agreed to withdraw the new legislation/pilot project to ban aftermarket studs on snomwmobile tracks to cross a roadway. The Quebec Prov. Police are being directed not to issue any more fines.

https://www.facebook.com/PEIsnowmobileassociation/

A man armed with an assault rifle confronted snowmobilers Monday in Winsloe North,  police called to the scene were able to diffuse the situation and apprehend the armed man.

During the investigation, police determined a second incident occurred Saturday involving the same man and a friend. One of the men allegedly fired a gun in the air when snowmobiles approached the barricade.

A 25-year-old North Winsloe man and a 29-year-old Charlottetown man were arrested for careless use of a firearm.

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2016-02-17/article-4439138/RCMP-arrest-men-who-allegedly-used-guns-to-confront-snowmobilers/1

No comments:

Post a Comment