by Donna Baylis | Jun 29, 2017 | Reference
Kimberley Forest extends roughly from the Beaver River west to the 7th Line, and north from the Beaver Valley Ski Club almost to the former Talisman Ski Resort. ATV riding is not permitted. Map courtesy of Google.
Stretching for close to 1,000 acres and nearly two and a half kilometers along the west side of the Beaver Valley, the Kimberley Forest extends north from the Beaver Valley Ski Club nearly to the former Talisman Ski Resort. For the most part, this large tract of public land extends up the escarpment from the Beaver River in the valley west to the 7th Line.
North and west of the provincial Crown lands managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) are the Wodehouse Karst property, owned by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, and Kimberley Springs, owned by the Bruce Trail Conservancy. The entire area is located in the Municipality of Grey Highlands. In the past this area was loosely referred to as the Wodehouse Karst but for convenience the entire area is now being referred to as the ‘Kimberley Forest’.
The Friends of Kimberley Forest
Representatives of all the major user groups – hikers, horseback riders, mountain-bikers, hunters, snowshoers, XC skiers, snowmobilers and ATV’ers, as well as Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) and the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) have joined together to participate in a volunteer steering committee called “The Friends of Kimberley Forest”. The committee meets monthly in co-operative agreement to improve forest management and provide management options for community consideration.
Dufferin Grey ATV Club has agreed to stay out of Kimberley Forest and asks members and other ATV riders to honour our commitment. Please recognize that some areas are simply off limits and if we want to keep riding then we must play by the rules or risk losing everything. DGATV thanks you for your consideration.
by Donna Baylis | Jun 28, 2017 | Community
Dufferin Grey ATV Club Directors Ruth Ann Turnbull and Jamie Thurman present a cheque to Beavercrest Community School for use by the breakfast club.
Money raised at our Saturday, June 24, 2017 ride was $310, which was matched by DGATV for a total of $620.
The school was very appreciative and told us that our riders “ROCK”.
We already knew that!
See also: Events
by Donna Baylis | Jun 26, 2017 | Reference
Let’s Talk About The Money
Your Ontario Federation of ATV Clubs (OFATV) annual membership costs $150, which is $132.74 plus HST.
75% of your membership dollars are used to build and maintain trails.
25% of your membership dollars pays for administration — $15 million landowners liability insurance, government lobbying, safety programs, youth training, special projects and the operating expenses of the OFATV.
To see money spent on your favourite trails, join the local club and buy where you ride.
Buy an annual membership through Dufferin Grey ATV Club Inc. (DGATV) and:
$65 is retained by DGATV
$85 is forwarded to the OFATV with approximately $45 returned to DGATV as payment for maintaining each km of verified trail (currently around 350 kms off-road). This trail verification payment is a trail building incentive managed by the OFATV and varies for each club.
DGATV is run entirely by volunteers. OFATV has one paid Administrator and is managed by Volunteers. To learn more and have a voice in the future of recreational ATVing, get involved. Many hands make light work!
See also: VOLUNTEERS MEMBERSHIP INFO ATV SEASON BENEFITS SIDE-BY-SIDES
by Donna Baylis | Jun 1, 2017 | Reference
In 2015, the City of Owen Sound was approached by Dufferin Grey ATV Club (DGATV) and South Bruce Peninsula ATV Club (SBPATV) to request access to the city for food, fuel and accommodation, and to create a road link between the two clubs.
In 2016, the city created a temporary by-law allowing all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road vehicles (ORVs) on certain streets within the city. This makes it possible to cross through the city and ride to the Bruce Peninsula.
Copies of the map and by-law are available at www.owensound.ca.
Note that the CP Rail Trail from Sunny Valley Road northward into Owen Sound is not currently open. Part of the trail goes through the Niagara Escarpment and needs special permission, which is being requested. Additionally, Grey County is developing a Recreational Trails Master Plan and will not consider approving the trail until after the report is made available in the autumn.
In the interim, Owen Sound, Georgian Bluffs and the Township of Chatsworth have by-laws in place detailing where ATVs are permitted on certain roads. Grey County has also passed a by-law that will permit use on certain County roads. These by-laws will allow an ATV rider to access the amenities within Owen Sound while the CP Rail Trail and other property requests are being considered.
Links to the by-laws:
https://www.owensound.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/Documents/2016-087-Off-Road-Vehicles-By-law-CONSOLIDATED.pdf
https://www.georgianbluffs.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/PDFs/ByLaws/By-law_27-2016_ATV_By-law.pdf
http://chatsworth.ca/sites/default/files/files/By-laws/ByLaw%202004-20%20-%20All%20Terrain%20Vehicles.pdf
https://www.grey.ca/by-laws
If you would like to participate in Grey County’s Recreational Trails Master Plan process, please contact Sarah.Johnson@grey.ca.
News Stories:
June 15, 2016 – Owen Sound’s ATV bylaw gets green light
by Donna Baylis | May 29, 2017 | Reference
Welcome to DGATV’s Maintained Trails
While Dufferin Grey ATV Club membership is for riders of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs, 2-Ups, side-by-sides), we do consider ourselves a custodian of the trails for other users as well.
In the summer the public trails are shared by walkers, hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. ATVs are permitted on the trails throughout the ATV season.
We ask our riders to be courteous to other users. For instance, when passing horses, be cognizant of the horseback rider’s wishes. The horseback rider may wave you past, but if not, please pull over, shut off your machine and remove your helmet so as not to spook the horse.
For motorcycles, Ontario Federation of ATV Clubs (OFATV) and Dufferin Grey ATV Club (DGATV) are entirely separate from The Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR) with separate legal landowner agreements. Check with OFTR to find out which trails you are permitted to ride.
In the winter snowmobiles use much of the same trail (although not identical as they are subject to different landowner agreements). Walkers and cross-country skiers also enjoy the groomed trails.
Dufferin Grey ATV Club spends a significant sum of money from user fees and fundraising on maintaining the trail every year. Funds and Volunteer hours go towards grass mowing; tree trimming; brush and trash cleanup; gravel for filling holes, smoothing slopes and preventing erosion; dust suppression; gate installation and maintenance; bridge building and maintenance.
When the trails are tended for ATV use, all users benefit.
See also:
Trail Users – Mountain Biking
FAQs
