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By: Robert Janis
Avalon Trailways
Corporation Promotes ATV Recreation in
Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
Anyone who rides the trails of Newfoundland
and Labrador Canada owe the Avalon Trailways
Corporation (AVTRAC) a debt of gratitude. The
mission of the organization is to develop and
promote the trailway for safe and responsible
multi-use activity. It is recognized by the
Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Council and the
All-Terrain Quad Council of Canada as well as
the governments of Canada and Newfoundland as
the only organization in Newfoundland and
Labrador that represents ATV recreationists in
the Province.
The organization has been fighting for ATV
recreationists since its first moment of
inception in 1999. It was that year that
individual ATV riders banded together to form
the organization to stop a town from barring
access to a portion of the trailway.
To truly understand the action that was taken
that formed the club and to better understand
what the club does, you need to know some
background concerning ATV riding and recreation
in Canada.
A Little Background on ATV Recreation In Canada
Anyone who is familiar with ATVing in Canada and
the Canadian provinces is familiar with the
Trans Canada Trail, which runs from St. Johns,
Newfoundland in the east to Vancouver, British
Columbia in the west. The trail is open to
outdoor recreationists including ATVers,
equestrians, and hikers. Access is free.
The portion of the trail that is located in
Newfoundland was originally occupied by the
tracks used by the province’s trains. In 1988
the trains were closed, the rails were removed,
and the railbed was given to the provincial
government. An organization called the
Newfoundland Trailway Council was created to
oversee and maintain the route and then the
railbed was handed over from the government to
this new council. It was then affiliated into
the Trans Canada Trail. The Newfoundland
Trailways Council has received $1 million from
the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Association
(ACOA), a group that funds work projects that
include the trailway; $1 million from the Trans
Canadian Trail Council and $800,000 from the
government of Newfoundland to finance the
re-building, maintenance, and stabilization of
bridges along the trailway.
Rick Noseworthy, president of the Avalon
Trailways Corporation and vice president of the
Newfoundland Trailways Council, explained that
about 95 percent of all land in Newfoundland is
owned by the government. The land falls under
the control of the Department of Crown Lands.
Rules fall under the ATV Act. That Act is
enforced by various agencies including the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), local police,
the Department of Wild Life and the Department
of Forestry. The ATV Act was passed in the
1980s.
According to the Act, ATVers are allowed to
operate on mineral soils, decommissioned roads,
and the railbed. ATVers cannot ride on bogs and
wetlands. Insurance and permits are not
necessary to ride an ATV.
“Trails here have been developed over hundreds
of years. There are no restrictions on where you
can ride,” explained Noseworthy.
Preserving the Status Quo
As mentioned, the Avalon Trailways Corporation
was created in 1999 to stop attempts by the town
of Conception Bay South to ban ATV access to a
portion of the trail. “Pretty much overnight
they erected barricades,” said Noseworthy. “A
bunch of fellows who ride ATVs went to the town
leaders and told them what they were doing was
illegal, and we threatened to sue.” They said,
“Okay, take us to court.” We were just a bunch
of fellows who were not organized, and we had no
money to go to court. So we got in touch with
the Canadian ATV Association, which has since
become the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Council
(COHV), told them what was happening. They said
to take the town to court, and they would pay
for it.
“In order to sue a case like this we had to get
incorporated,” continued Noseworthy. “So we got
a small group of ATVers together, formed an
organization, incorporated it, and then took the
town to court and won. To this day the trail is
open to ATV riders.”
The AVTRAC was and still is an ATV group, but it
mostly serves as an unofficial lobbyist for the
rights of ATV riders. “We are a hands-on group,”
said Noseworthy. “We have developed a very good
relationship with the government. We have a
government that listens to us and that we can
work with.”
According to Noseworthy, the AVTRAC is not
afraid to get in front on an issue to promote
the 98 percent good, courteous riders. Also,
they are not afraid to call out and criticize
the 2 percent who are bad and inconsiderate.
Education is a very important part of the
organization. “We have a program in which we go
out to schools, service groups, businesses,
people who use ATVs for work, and we hold Ride
Safe, Ride Smart classes,” said Noseworthy. “The
training campaign includes an enclosed trailer,
ATVs, and all sorts of educational materials;
and we hit the road through the sponsorship of
the Canadian Off Highway Vehicle Council. We
promote safe, responsible ATV riding.”
In addition, the group also works with the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP
organizes youth symposiums and invites AVTRAC to
participate. The AVTRAC organizes events that
they invite the RCMP to participate in. “We talk
our talk about ATVs--the do’s and the don’ts and
the whys and the why nots. Then, a
representative of the RCMP talks about the rules
and regulations of ATV riding,” said Noseworthy.
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