Letter Writing to our MLA

Start, if you want, congratulating the Honourable Gary Mar to his appointment as the Alberta Minister of Community Development. 

We need to point out facts to our MLA’s and tell them of our disappointment over a 1997 PB130 Groomer.

Who we are: 

Member of the Calgary Snowmobile Club, founded in 1966. 

Our club is part of the Alberta Snowmobile Association, which assists use in the promotion, maintenance, safety, and environmental stewardship of our trail systems.

The Facts: 

Recent K-Country Users meeting, our president attended a meeting in which the following was presented:

1. Canmore Nordic Center and K Country have leased 4 brand new BR Groomers.

2. Canmore is getting a $16,000,000 upgrade for one World Cup Event.

3. We end up with a 7 year old PB130 made up of 3 machines

4. Users of the ski trails do not have to pay a user fee.

.What we Provide in Return to K-Country and Alberta

    1.      We have a volunteer Trail Pass Program which is used by the clubs and the Alberta Snowmobile Association to build, maintain, sign and improve the trails on which we ride.

    2.      We assist the Kananaskis Country in maintaining the Cataract Snowmobile Snow Vehicle Forest Land Use Zone through the funds from the Trail Pass Program and the volunteer efforts of our club members. 

3.      We even received a letter from Alberta Community Development’s Dave Nielsen thanking us for our volunteer efforts and support. 

4.      As snowmobilers, we contribute $239 million into the Alberta economy. 

5.      Over $92.88 million (2002) in taxation revenues accrued to all three levels of government combined.

• The Federal share accounted for $56 million.
• The Provincial share was $27.6 million.
• The local government’s province-wide share was $9.24 million.

What we Want 

1.      We want you, as our MLA/Minister, to bring our story forward and provide us with a new Groomer as you have for other user groups within Kananaskis Country. 

2.      There is an estimated $21,000,000 that was to be injected into the Parks and our Groomer should be part of this upgrade dollars. 

3.      A Groomer benefits to the area riding safety and enjoyment. 

4.      Even Don Cockerton, Director, Kananaskis Country, noted on a trail ride in January 2004 to review with members of the Calgary Club how rough and impassible the trails become without proper grooming.