The arrival of the bitter cold In New Brunswick typically signals the end of tourist season but the provincial government is hoping that vacationers seeking fresh powder will be drawn to the province.
“We want to bring people back that might have been here through July and August that wonder what we do in the winter. Well, we’re going to show you first hand,” Premier Blaine Higgs said on Monday.
Higgs and Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Robert Gauvin were near Woodstock on Monday exploring the province’s trail system.
They were joined by representatives of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs as they cruised through a portion of the Northern New Brunswick Odyssey loop, a 600-kilometre snowmobile run.
“We have 49 clubs in the province, with approximately 76 groomers that maintain 8,300 kilometres of trails on an annual basis, so it’s a humongous undertaking that the volunteers in the province carry out,” said Scott Ralston, president of the federation.
With winter in full effect in New Brunswick, the squad geared up and headed out for the snow-covered forests.
Higgs says the ride is also a chance to support rural companies along the routes such as gas stations and secluded restaurants.
“What’s happened is it has brought so many people in from the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island who typically don’t have a strong winter,” said Ross Antworth, general manager of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.
The province’s tourism minister agreed.
“Our department found out that it brings $90 million (annually) to New Brunswick, snowmobiling alone, and we believe it has room to grow,” said Gauvin.
The popularity of the winter sport is on the rise in New Brunswick.
According to the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, the number of trail permits increased by 9.5 per cent last year for a total of approximately 21,000 permits in the province.
“We are right next door to Quebec, the home of snowmobiling, and what’s that done is that’s created a huge economic opportunity for our communities that have bought into snowmobiling creating economic activity that otherwise wouldn’t exist in the winter,” said Antworth.
The snowmobile run coincides with the 27th annual International Snowmobile Safety Week.
People are advised to never ride alone, not to drink and ride and to expect the unexpected on the trail, especially after dark.
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