OPP increasing snowmobile patrol as trails open

OPP patrolling snowmobiling trails in the Southern Georgian Bay region (Source: OPP Central Region/X)

Ontario Provincial Police say they have increased their presence on snowmobile trails as more trails have opened in the last several weeks.

According to OPP, Southern Georgian Bay detachment officers issued warnings to 32 riders for a variety of Motorized Snow Vehicle Act (MSVA) offences in the last seven days, mostly related to not having valid ownership permits on their snowmobiles.

In that timeframe, Southern Georgian Bay OPP adds that one rider was charged with speeding, five were charged with riding without a trail pass and two were charged for not having a valid machine registration permit.

The detachment’s officers along with area fire and paramedic services have also reportedly attended three snowmobile crashes. Police say one incident resulted in a rider getting treated for a broken bone while another resulted in a rider getting flown to a trauma hospital to receive treatment for serious injuries.

Officers logged more than 70 hours of trail patrol in the last seven days according to Southern Georgian Bay OPP, checking more than 400 snowmobilers for equipment, required licences, registration and trail passes. Officers also reportedly conducted eight R.I.D.E. programs to check riders for signs of impairment.

With a favorable forecast for snowmobiling in the region this weekend, Police are reminding snowmobilers to ride in control, to obey the posted speed limit, to never ride impaired, and that no ice is safe.

According to the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) Interactive Trail Guide, most trails in Simcoe Muskoka had either an ‘available’ or ‘limited availability’ status on Friday.