Located at the original mile zero of the Alaska Highway (now mile 300), is the BC Snowmobile Federation's northern-most snowmobile club in the province! The Fort Nelson Snowmobile Club features over 100km of groomed loop trails and three impressive warming shelters thanks to the diligent work of volunteers like Club President Wayne Wheeler in recent years.

Chief volunteer, face of the organization, the glue that holds the club together... these are just a few of the subtitles you may see listed beside the role of Snowmobile Club President. In BC, snowmobile clubs operate as Not-For-Profit Societies bound by legislation called the Societies Act.

When the snowmobile club puts out a call to action for help, you likely imagine firewood work parties, snowcat maintenance, maybe organizing events or building a new cabin. Each of those are incredibly important tasks on the to-do list. But what most riders never consider is the important work that goes on in the office behind the scenes that keeps the club rolling. In addition to volunteers contributing their time on the end of a saw, wrench, or hammer, snowmobile clubs are not-for-profit societies that have complex accounting and financial transparency requirements. It is the role of the snowmobile club Treasurer to ensure effective controls and procedures are in place. These are the men and women who keep us ‘in the black’. I sat down with Fernie Snowmobile Association Treasurer and long-time volunteer Steve Kelly to learn more.

BC Snowmobile Club Events Are Back... and Doing Great Things for Local Communities!

Kelowna Snowmobile Club members took to the slopes on February 19th to raise money for BC Children's Hospital's Heart Center and Easter Seals BC/Yukon. The event had a personal connection with the local snowmobile community. Co-host Ashley was born with congenital heart disease and endured two heart surgeries plus subsequent pace maker surgeries at BC Children’s Hospital when she was a child. Since then, for the past 32 years, Ashley and her family have been generously supporting BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Volunteering is something that has always been an easy commitment because I grew up in a family that was heavily involved in the snowmobile community. My Grandpa was a founding member of the Kelowna Snowmobile Club (KSC), and my Dad also was a very active volunteer within the KSC. When I was a kid, we attended every KSC event, went to club meetings, and spent weekends playing around the cabins while the adults were stacking firewood or doing cabin maintenance. It was a family affair!

The BC Snowmobile Federation just received confirmation from the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) that our nomination for the CCSO Excellence Award for Canadian Snowmobile Club of the Year has won!

While many people simply pack away their gear and summerize their snowmobiles to not think about it again until Hay Days. Your snowmobile club likely has a long list of projects that need to be completed this summer. There are many ways you can support your club while enjoying the backcountry this summer and here are a few we thought of:

Volunteers for any not-for-profit organization can be hard to come by. STP is an acronym for the same ten people, meaning the same ten people are regularly stepping up to do one hundred percent of the work. This will lead to volunteer burnout and reduced membership numbers. How can we increase our membership and volunteer base? Here are five suggestions your snowmobile club’s board of directors and project leaders can implement to facilitate engagement and success.

Each year the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation recognizes individuals, families and businesses who go above and beyond to support the sport of snowmobiling in BC. Normally these awards are presented in the spring at the Annual General Meeting, but due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, the awards were presented in October via a Facebook Live Event. We would like to take this opportunity to recognize the winners of the 2019/2020 BCSF Excellence awards:

While the most exciting time of the year for snowmobilers is in the winter months, the off season isn't the time off for snowmobile clubs that people think. There are so many administrative and infrastructure obligations to address along with meetings especially in relation to land access issues during the summer months. Once the riders have parked their sleds for the season the clubs kick it into high gear!

Before you volunteer with your local snowmobile club this summer please review the attached resource.