Volunteer Spotlight: Clemence Sampson

Across British Columbia, snowmobile clubs are powered by volunteers. Groomer operators, trail builders, cabin caretakers, board members, and event organizers all play a role in creating the managed snowmobile areas riders enjoy every winter.

Some volunteers work on the snow. Others work quietly behind the scenes.

For the Kamloops Snowmobile Association, one of those quiet forces has been Clemence Sampson.

Clemence’s snowmobiling journey began in 1996 while she was working for a highway maintenance company. One Monday morning a coworker was talking about a great weekend ride. Curious, she asked where he had gone. The answer introduced her to the Kamloops Snowmobile Association.

That same week she told her husband Leo about the club. By the following Saturday, there were two snowmobiles in their garage.

Joining the club opened the door to new friendships and a deeper connection to the mountains around Kamloops. At first, Clemence and Leo were mostly riders, but when Leo retired in 2011, the couple began volunteering more actively. They attended meetings, helped with trail maintenance, cut firewood, and even groomed trails together.

“Leo would be on the BR180 and I would be on the Skandic right behind him,” Clemence recalls. “I really enjoyed that, especially at night.”

In 2017, Clemence officially stepped into the role of club Secretary, bringing decades of office experience with her. She helped improve how meetings were organized and how records were kept, strengthening the club’s administration at a time when new opportunities were emerging.

One of those opportunities was the provincial ORV Trail Fund. Clemence carefully studied the grant guidelines, identified the requirements, and helped the club prepare a strong application. The result was significant funding that helped support infrastructure and trail development.

That success led Clemence deeper into the administrative side of the club. In 2018 she also took on the role of Treasurer, managing financial reporting, land use agreement applications, and many of the day-to-day communications that keep a volunteer organization running.

Across British Columbia, this type of work is essential to the success of snowmobile clubs. Much of what riders see and experience on the trails — groomed routes, warming cabins, staging areas, events, and safety programs — is made possible through by volunteers like Clemence working behind the scenes.

Beyond the paperwork, Clemence has always believed in sharing the experience of snowmobiling with others. Over the years she helped organize opportunities for international exchange students to get out on the snow and experience a uniquely Canadian winter tradition for the first time. She has also been a key contributor to the success of the club’s Snowarama fundraiser, helping grow the event into an important gathering that brings riders and the community together each season to the tune of over $200,000 raised for Easter Seals BC Yukon. 

“The belief is that the work ends after the snow is gone,” Clemence says. “But there is no break for the administration. Off-season work includes grant reporting, financial preparation, membership setup, and planning for the season ahead.”

In 2021, Clemence received the BC Snowmobile Federation President’s Award at the BCSF Excellence Awards. The recognition meant a great deal.

“It reinforced the idea that people are aware of all the work that goes on behind the scenes.”

After many years of service, Clemence is now stepping back from her leadership roles. True to her nature, she has spent time preparing documentation and training materials to ensure a smooth transition for the next generation of volunteers.

Her advice to anyone considering volunteering is simple: build a strong team and share the workload.

When asked how she hopes to be remembered, her answer reflects the spirit that drives so many volunteers across British Columbia.

“I did the work because I believed it was worth it.”

The BC Snowmobile Federation thanks Clemence Sampson for her dedication, leadership, and years of service to the Kamloops Snowmobile Association and the snowmobiling community in British Columbia.