News Story: Backcountry Snowmobilers Could Lose Their Rides

[carguy]

Article taken from local newspage:

Backcountry snowmobilers could lose their rides
Aaron Burnett May 10, 2010 07:55:05 AM

British Columbia is looking at a bill that would let our neighbouring province seize and sell snowmobiles from so called high-markers.

B.C. Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger tells the Calgary Herald the proposed legislation would cover anyone who's said to be putting others at risk through dangerous activities in the backcountry.

The 2009-2010 avalanche season has seen 12 people die in snow slides, including three men from the Calgary area.

Two of the men died in an avalanche near Revelstoke that RCMP believe was caused by high-marking.

Anyone heard this? Think it will happen or is this a knee-jerk reaction like the gun registry after the shooting rampage in Montreal, just to appease the ignorant masses.

 

[tmix]

first i have heard of it....

 

[Riverjet]

Ayup, our dictatorship is at it again. Is it time to revolt yet? Tell me it's time to revolt........I'm waiting.
They will get my sled the same way they will get my guns.

 

[maxwell]

yah and how are they going to enforce this..

everyone puts themselves at some level of risk when they go up the mountain.

AND

ALOT of riders expose themselves to risk because they simply do not understand. how is this the highmarkers fault.

it wont happen

then what? a 2000$ chopper ride? are they going to tow my sled out? ha!


this is such a joke im glad it isnt the alberta governement wasting dollars on paying some dense barely breathing politician to think this crap up

 

[tmix]

let's revolt..............

 

[maxwell]

let's revolt..............

i agree. reactive rather than proactive seems to be the way to go

 

[WesG]

This is f-ing retarded. Are they going to sieze all out of bounds skiers' ski's? how about snowboarders? Work on educating the backcountry population on the dangers and you won't need to police anything out there ffs!

 

[retiredpop]

Sounds to me like this tourism minister should lose his free ride on the political gravy train next election.

 

[ZRrrr]

He admits that it would be hard to enforce. I think this is more of a dog and pony show to appease a few people. It might also give the RCMP the opportunity to lay charges in some situations, and insurance compnaies to deny claims for equipment and life losses. Good part of the stories I have read is more money for the CAC.

 

[Depsnolvr]

knee jerk reaction or not, topics like this are a very hot right now and we must be proactive in the proper manner. Please lobby and support your provincial clubs and write educated and well written letters to the minister.

That being said, the CAC and other snowmobile stakeholders are looking for more effective ways to get sledders to ride safer in the backcountry. We NEED to do this to save our sport. Any ideas can be addressed to our office, the or the CAC.

I know sledders invest a lot to go on a trip to the mountains, but they still need to understand to "ride to the conditions not the opportunity"

 

[LID]

You just need to make people more personally responsible, then they'll be forced to think twice. If you're the random hero that blasts a highmark above a stuck guy and sets off a slide causing his death, get charged with manslaughter. Otherwise, if nobody's in the runout, highmark till your arms fall off!
That's how it works in Europe.

 

[padleym1000]

thats a bunch of BS try and catch me out there it well never happen

 

[ZRrrr]

You just need to make people more personally responsible, then they'll be forced to think twice. If you're the random hero that blasts a highmark above a stuck guy and sets off a slide causing his death, get charged with manslaughter. Otherwise, if nobody's in the runout, highmark till your arms fall off!
That's how it works in Europe.

I am more interested in how Europe does it? We always seem to try and reinvent the wheel here when there are much more mature societies we can take cues from.

 

[Summiteer]

Is this something that has actually been proposed or an idea that someone blurted out in a meeting that was repeated and the media latched onto?
Try to convince any law enforecment agency to waste their limited manpower and budget enforcing this....Although getting paid to ride in the hills would be sweet....

 

[Modman]

Try to convince any law enforecment agency to waste their limited manpower and budget enforcing this....Although getting paid to ride in the hills would be sweet....

Should we be keeping an eye out for vigilantes next year....?

 

[JaySimon]

Although getting paid to ride in the hills would be sweet....

That part never even hit me. I want that job. I would be far too corrupt to be handing out fines for highmarking, but I could certainly help the government waste some tax dollars.

 

[Pistonbroke]

Ayup, our dictatorship is at it again. Is it time to revolt yet? Tell me it's time to revolt........I'm waiting.
They will get my sled the same way they will get my guns.

Let's start the revolt by shoving an unregistered non-restricted firearm up their azzpipe and pull the trigger!!!!

 

[magnet]

just a thought i had. i have never taken training so do not know how it works. but. could it not be set that anyone who wants to ride mountains has to provide proof of proper training, kinda like a drivers or boat license, in order to be sold a trail pass, or if asked for by enforcement agent. i realize that it wont stop all people from going into dangerous situations and will not prevent them either but it may make some guys more aware of the dangers. also they will have to have someone enforce it but would probably be cheaper than trying to stop everbody from going into the mountains. this guy that is proposing closing these areas down should maybe think about the amount of tourism money he is taking away from these small sledding towns. jmo.

 

[ferniesnow]

thats a bunch of BS try and catch me out there it well never happen

So you would liike to loose the truck and trailer or whatever else is in the parking lot or hotel while you are running around the BC backcountry even though you are away ahead of the highmark police!!!

 

[pano-dude]

my guess is this gives the courts a way to charge someone if there is an incident.

nobody would enforce it until they had, or wanted to