By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Local snowmobile club Sled Blue River is in the midst of a fundraiser to buy another trail groomer, which organizers say will support Blue River’s tourism industry and make recreational activities more accessible for residents.
Previously, Sled Blue River hired a third-party contractor to groom snowmobile trails in the area, said General Manager Albert Venor. When the most recent contractor announced he was retiring, the club decided to purchase their own equipment – and so far, they’ve pooled enough funds to purchase one groomer, according to Venor. However, since Blue River has two clusters of snowmobile zones – one is in the heart of Blue River, while the other is about 20 kilometres south of town – it makes sense for the club to have two groomers, he said. Trail groomers are about 16 feet wide and very difficult to transport, he added.
The purchase of the second groomer will contribute to economic stability in Blue River, according to Venor.
“For us to have to try and find a new contractor every five, six, seven years, it puts a lot of instability on the organization, but also for the community: if there’s no grooming, then people aren’t going to come for tourism,” Venor said, adding that snowmobiling is tied with heliskiing as Blue River’s biggest tourism draw. “We think this is going to give us the platform to have long-term stability in the community as far as grooming trails, and it’ll create jobs as well: we need people to operate, fix, and service [the groomers].”
The more accessible trails are, the more often they’ll be used, Venor added – and the more often trails are used, the more likely the Province is to approve of opening new snowmobile zones in the area.
“This kind of stability helps us when we’re negotiating with the [provincial] government as far as keeping zones open or opening new ones,” he said. “If we can prove they have an economic impact, it gives us a lot more clout at the bargaining table.”
Andy Boughton, President of Sled Blue River, told The Goat in an email that promoting sustainable tourism in Blue River is one of the organization’s priorities.
“The decision to purchase grooming equipment… is the next step in the evolution of our club,” Boughton said. “We remain focused on the sustainability of recreational tourism and are confident that we will continue to contribute to the resiliency of our community.”
The organization has also enjoyed the support of Lee Onslow, the director representing Blue River and Avola to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Onslow wrote a letter of support for the club’s successful grant application to the Vancouver Foundation. The grant will cover the cost of training a Blue River resident on how to operate the groomer, and subsidize their wage for one season, Onslow told The Goat.
The organization’s efforts promote long-term economic sustainability in the community, according to Onslow’s letter.
“The tourism dollars generated each winter are essential for the towns of Blue River and Avola to survive,” she wrote. “The Blue River Powder Packers [Sled Blue River] are an inclusive snowmobile club that hires locals to run the trail booths and who accept volunteers with open arms.”
As of writing on September 23rd, the club has raised over $3,000 of its $50,000 goal. Links to the club’s fundraiser can be found on their Facebook page or Instagram profile, @sledblueriverbc.
The fundraiser has no end date, according to Boughton, though the club would like to purchase the machines before the beginning of snowmobiling season towards the end of November.
