COUNCILLORS HEAR PROS AND CONS TO ALLOWING ATVS ON ROADS

MUNICIPAL STAFF TO PROVIDE REPORT ON NEXT STEPS IN JUNE

A report on whether ATVs should be allowed on roads in the area of Creemore and Dunedin should be in Clearview Township councillors' hands by the end of June.

At a public meeting, May 24, in the Stayner Community Centre, councillors heard both the pros and cons of allowing ATVs on roads in the southern part of the municipality.

On the one hand, those opposed to opening up the area to ATV use pointed out issues of noise, safety, and the potential impact on the environment. Those on the pro side cited the need to use the road to access approved trails.

Councillors will find themselves weighing both sides, after staff is expected to present a report at the June 26 meeting on whether the existing bylaw approved in 2020 remain status quo, or the township revise the rules to allow ATVs on the roads around Creemore and Dunedin.

The current bylaw does not permit ATV use on municipal roads south of County Road 9, and west of County Road 42.

The options could include instituting a permit system for residents in those communities that would only allow them to take ATVs on municipal roads in that area. It is also expected to include a discussion on how the township's bylaw officers could enforce the rules.

Bill Mann, a representative of the Creemore Area Residents' Association (CARA), reviewed a survey recently conducted by CARA that found most were happy with maintaining the rules as status quo.

The majority of the 108 respondents were also not in favour of establishing a permit system for ATV users living in the Creemore and Dunedin area that would allow them to use municipal roads to get to approved trails. There was also a concern about the practicalities of enforcement. "I think, on balance, there's a fear about the cost for (enforcement) to be effective," he told the crowd of about 80 people.

Mann said that since the bylaw had been approved, Creemore residents have seen less so-called bad behaviour by ATV users.

Jim Campbell said he wanted the municipality to reflect on the broader picture, and reflected on his own days of riding dirt bikes through the Pretty River Provincial Park area.

"I've got nothing against ATVs if they have a purpose," he said, such as being used for farm chores. "But to be out there ripping up nature ... we have to move in a direction that's about preserving nature."

Creemore resident Carol Whitley said as an ATV user, she respects the environment, and reminded the audience that the meeting was about opening roads for ATV use, "so they don't have to go (into environmentally-sensitive areas)."

Central Ontario ATV (COATV) president Alain Pominville emphasized all ATV users were looking for was the ability to travel on roads in order to reach approved ATV trails. He added that the goal of the club is to maintain trails that are sustainable and do not have an environmental impact.

The club maintains three trail routes in the municipality, two of which are in County of Simcoe forests.

He added that individuals who do travel through environmentally-sensitive areas "are not likely members of the club.

"We educate our members to promote safe ATV use," he told the crowd. "We don't want to ride on roads, but we want to be able to get to the trails that are designated."