Luke showcases what’s new from Polaris for model year 2026 and provides his thoughts on the new Voyageur 155 and the new narrow 39-41″ Escape front suspension now offered on the 2026 Switchback Assault.

Then AJ and Mark showcase the touring opportunities within the Ontario Highlands and why this amazing part of Canada has been the home of SNOWTRAX for generations.

Most OFSC trails do not typically become Available to ride before mid-January, and although the recent unseasonal weather has impacted overall trail readiness, snowmobile clubs and their volunteers continue to work hard on making as many OFSC trails as possible Available to ride in the near future.

Only Ride Available Trails:

For safety week, the OFSC reminds snowmobilers to only ride Available or Limited Availability OFSC trails and avoid riding Unavailable trails at any time during the winter. Snowmobilers can easily find out where there are Available trails to ride by checking Trail Status 24/7 on the OFSC Interactive Trail Guide (ITG) or on the OFSC Go Snowmobiling App. Trail Status shows on the ITG as:

GREEN for Available: The identified route is accessible with the understanding that the trail will likely vary considerably in quality, attributes and terrain over its length.

YELLOW for Limited Availability: Access to the identified route is limited with marginal riding opportunities, so snowmobilers enter with the understanding that they should ride with extreme care and reduced speed.

RED for Unavailable: The identified route is not available at this time, with access prohibited, and entering any Unavailable trail on private property is trespassing.

Stay On The Trail:

The OFSC also reminds snowmobilers riding an Available OFSC trail throughout the winter, to always stay on the trail. OFSC Prescribed Snowmobile Trails are planned, prepared and maintained for the use of responsible recreational snowmobilers who display valid Ontario Snowmobile Trail Permits on their sleds.

These snowmobile corridors are the smart choice for safety’s sake, and to avoid trespassing on private property or compromising the safety of landowners or their property.

Snowmobile incident stats indicate that entering an Unavailable trail, riding off-trail on roads, waterways or areas without trails is a very risky choice.

Ride Responsibly:

The OFSC encourages snowmobilers entering Available OFSC trails to always ride responsibly, with caution, care & control. OFSC trail riding, like many other outdoor activities, has inherent risks that may occur in an unpredictable and uncontrollable natural environment, often far from home.

So snowmobilers must take personal responsibility for their own safety by making prudent choices, practicing safe riding behaviours, and always being prepared for the unexpected.

“Safety is a shared responsibility, a reminder that we send to all snowmobilers every January,” said Ryan Eickmeier, OFSC CEO. “Safety week is an early season focal point to refresh ourselves on key safe riding principles to ensure everyone enjoys OFSC trails this winter.”

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) is a volunteer led, not for profit association that provides the voice for organized snowmobiling in Ontario. OFSC snowmobile trails managed by 200 community based, member clubs generate up to $3.3 billion in economic activity in the province each year.

Over the last four decades (yes, I can still remember those days) government has become increasingly more controlling of everything we do as citizens, business people and recreationists.

The idea that we the people, the taxpayers, control things is certainly a distant memory and sometimes it feels like citizen-control has been replaced by a Big Brother who makes all our decisions for us. The worse thing is, we’re used to it.

I’m really not trying to be political here and I have to admit, in many cases North Americans do need the control of a larger governing body. I guess my biggest concern is that the government is our largest industry and human complacency has caused it to grow out of control.

Enough politics; lets relate this to snowmobiling.

North American snowmobiling has a consolidated group of governing bodies (governments) that control and support the sport by building places for us to ride. Without these governments our sport would shrivel into an out-of-control herd of renegades running roughshod over everyone else’s property. Sound extreme? That’s exactly what happened in the 1950s and 60s.

We’re a unique group that way. In order to sell snowmobiles, there has to be a place to ride them. In order to use snowmobiles, which are only functional for a brief, seasonal band of climate, there must be someone who creates the environment they can be used in. In order for the sport to grow, it needs a sustainable trail network that is safe and enjoyable to use. Flash report, right?

Here are the cold, hard facts: The above described trail system does not just happen by chance. Nor does it operate for free. Nor does it intend to control the sport for political reasons.

The fact is, these governing bodies that generate places for us to ride exist only to enhance the sport. The net result is an industry that continues to thrive based on the reality we have a place to enjoy the vehicles the industry designs and manufactures.

I challenge you to think about this for a minute: No volunteer organizations, no trails. No trails, no snowmobiles.

Sure, you could argue there are places you can ride that don’t require trails, maintenance or governance. For instance, mountain riding needs much less legislating than a trail network. Duh.

However, without some kind of parental control, trespassing in the hills would become a huge issue and the safety and respect of the sport would soon be called into question. Maybe it already is in some areas.

No other powersport medium is like snowmobiling. Street bikes operate on roads and highways intended to serve all motorists. Off-road motorcycles and ATVs operate on closed course tracks and trails that require little daily maintenance. Boats and personal watercraft function in an aquatic environment and, except for safety governance, don’t require a lot of outside management.

Snowmobiling, however requires constant maintenance, legal permissions for land use and the construction of infrastructure like trails, bridges, signs and maps. Yet, it thrives.

I’m writing this because I want you to consider how important it is to pay into this sport. You absolutely must support organized snowmobiling governments.

I know owning and riding sleds is expensive – you can spend thousands on this sport and never even buy a trail permit, pay a license fee or submit to an organizational membership.

However, rather than thinking of those costs as a nuisance, as unnecessary taxation or another government money-grab; think about this: No cost; no governance. No governance, no trails. No trails, no snowmobiles.

Sobering thought, isn’t it?

One of the missing pieces of this vast trail system was a link that would provide snowmobilers with a long distance loop. Knowing this, the hard working folks and businesses in Chapleau, Foleyet and Timmins invested two years and endless man-hours and developed a 200-mile super trail that linked Timmins to Chapleau.

I took part in the Grand Opening Ride and in the fall of 1999 I penned an article entitled “Chapleau Gets A New Winter Highway”. The lead-in to this editorial was a famous line from the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it they will come” and for the better part of 10 years snowmobilers came from all over to ride this incredible loop.

The recession of 2009 really put a damper on snowmobiling in North America and eventually with dwindling permit sales and a lack of financial support to the clubs, the loop from Timmins to Chapleau was sadly shut down.

As the economy rebounded, permit sales began to rise and after several years of being closed, C101F was reopened as C101D last winter and in early March, 2017 I along with my good friends Richard Hiley, Jim Brogan and Harold McAdam had the pleasure to ride the complete loop chalking up 1,100 miles of great Northern Ontario trails and hospitality.