SASKATOON – While many people are grumbling about all the snow on the ground, one group is happy.
After the lack of snow last winter, snowmobilers have been taking to the trails in record numbers with record amounts of snow on the ground in some parts of the province.
The proof is in the numbers, with snowmobiles registrations up over 4,000 from last year.
“We’re up over the 20 thousand mark already and still have March’s numbers to come in,” said Chris Brewer, president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association.
“That’s telling us snowmobiling is growing in the province and dealers are telling us sales are way up.”
In some cases sales have reached new heights. FFUN Motorsports has sold over 200 sleds, almost double what it’s used to.
“We’ve obviously seen that in unit sales. Running out of snowmobiles at the end of December, we wish we would have had way more inventory than we did but obviously nobody was expecting a winter like this,” said Paul Ottey, product specialist at FFUN Motorsports.
Saskatchewan’s number one winter tourism activity has boosted the economy, benefiting hotels and gas stations, but that hasn’t come without some issues. The amount of snow has caused constant trail grooming and more signage stretching volunteers thin.
There are somewhere between 35,000 and 40,000 recreational snowmobiles in Saskatchewan.
With spring now here, the end of the snowmobile season is approaching. So far this season, there has been one snowmobile fatality in the province.
Chris Brewer hopes not to see another one and warns snowmobilers not to drink and ride.
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