Muskoka Snowmobile Region

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Muskoka Snowmobile Region Advancements

2003-2004: The evolution of snowmobiling continues to cause rapid changes to the way the MSR used to run its business. Today, the nine non-profit member clubs of the Muskoka Snowmobile Region (MSR) build and maintain over 1300 kms of snowmobile trails across some of Ontario’s most scenic landscape. Our 10,000 permit holders, combined with the thousands of snowmobilers who visit us annually, have contributed to making snowmobiling the number one winter tourism activity in Muskoka. Muskoka has become the province’s premier snowmobile destination, catering to the needs of Ontario’s largest ridership. The MSR has become a model for other regional associations across the province as clubs pool recourses and work together towards the improvement of snowmobiling in Ontario.
2002-2003: Many changes have occurred within the MSR administrative body during this season. The torch was passed to a new general manager, who brings an abundance of fresh, new ideas to the Muskoka snowmobiling scene. Volunteer burnout was also an issue that took front and centre stage. With increased requirements for trails standards and practices, volunteer time to manage ever increasing paperwork/administration became an issue that needed to be address. To continue with efforts to “centralize” MSR’s processes, book-keeping, administrative/paperwork tracking/completion and permit processing work was now being downloaded to the MSR office, in an effort to free-up volunteer time for trail work. This enabled all member clubs to, for the first time, see the “big picture”. With information sharing came the ability to accurately access the region and its needs, thereby allowing the volunteer Board of Directors (members of all clubs) to make educated and informed decisions regarding the region.
2000-2001: The MSR is considered completely regionalized as permit revenue is pooled and budgeted on an association wide basis and equipment is purchased and owned by the association. Grooming is handled through a cooperative agreement whereby equipment is used based on need rather than club boundaries. Clubs benefit from savings resulting from group purchases and programs. Marketing efforts continue to fund administration while clubs retain their autonomy through local events and fundraising initiatives.
1999: For the 1998/99 season, the MSR moved towards the regional ownership of all capital equipment. New groomers were purchased and owned by the MSR with funding supplied through the pooling of revenue under our Capital Equipment Replacement program. No longer would a single club be responsible for a large debt. This was an extremely significant advancement for some of our less fortunate clubs that would otherwise be unable to replace equipment. The MSR now replaces equipment based on need as requirements are prioritized and equipment usage is maximized.
1998: To the outside world, clubs in associations like the MSR were large, strong and powerful, but if you peeled back the cover, you’d find that MSR clubs are just like any other club in Ontario; in essence, a miniature version of the OFSC. Some of MSR member clubs have a large volunteer base while one or two volunteers run other clubs. Some clubs have a strong permit base while others could barely exist on their own. Some areas benefit from strong business or community support, in others, support is non-existent. One of the MSR’s goals was a committment to the establishment of a consistent trail standard throughout the MSR. To achieve this goal, the MSR had to create an environment that ensured that each club in the association was treated fairly - regardless of size or wealth. While associations operating only as marketing groups may help raise the profile of the member clubs, marketing groups won’t resolve fiscal disparity. Thus our most significant advancement, a truly regional pooling of all permit revenue and expenses, was borne. No longer was a club’s ability to survive solely based on their own ability to sell permits. With a regional budget, all clubs participated in a democratic process to distribute revenue on need rather than greed. While the MSR budget process has vastly improved the trail standard throughout our District, the process of pooling resources resulted in three clubs opting out of the group of partners.
1996: As part of our further movement towards a group effort, the MSR launched Lottery ’96, the first regional lottery. By pooling resources; the prize, tickets, advertising and license fees were shared by partners resulting in a much larger revenue surplus. By 1996/97, the MSR had moved towards the regional promotion and sale of trail permits and revenue arising from the sale of permits in the associations name was used for regionally significant projects. This move was the forerunner to a regional budget process.
1994: The MSR launched Muskoka Snow Riders, a team approach towards communication between member clubs; permit holders, and touring snowmobilers. The regional publication provided our member clubs with a cost efficient method of communicating with permit holders. No longer were clubs faced with the cost of printing and mailing newsletters. As with the MSR Regional Trail Map, Muskoka Snow Riders provided the MSR with non-permit revenue to help fund its administration. The MSR also embarked on a district wide Business Trail Sign program.
1991: With the launch of the 1991 MSR Regional Trail Map, snowmobilers experienced the first efforts of the new MSR. This first, high quality regional trail map was an enormous success that demonstrated a group effort could make all MSR clubs winners. Clubs received trail maps at no cost to their membership and surplus revenue funded the MSR administration. Clubs joined together for a regional presence at industry trade shows.
1990: By 1990, the MSA association had become stagnant, as the original goals of the association had been met. With improved club communications and trail links, the original MSA leadership lost interest in the association and it appeared to flounder. A new group of volunteer leaders arrived in the late 1980’s and they discovered that the open movement of traffic highlighted another significant problem, disparity amongst our member clubs. This new volunteer group established new goals together with a new identity to demonstrate to the snowmobile community that they were prepared to make changes. With the renaming of the MSA to the Muskoka Snowmobile Region (MSR) this new enthusiastic executive embarked on a program to improve our image by promoting our clubs through a team effort.
1986-1989: While clubs still operated as stand alone entities, relationships improved as clubs started to communicate with each other. Through this communication, clubs started to work together at developing connecting links and by 1988 all Muskoka clubs had joined the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC). With the development of connecting links and the implementation of a common trail permit, snowmobilers in the late 1980’s were now able to snowmobile from one community to another.
1986: The Muskoka Snowmobile Association (MSA), the forerunner to the MSR was officially incorporated in 1986. As with most clubs of this generation, Muskoka area snowmobile clubs seldom communicated with each other and had few connecting links. Some clubs were members of the OFSC, others belonged to the OTBA and a few stood as independents. Clubs literally viewed their neighbours as the enemy or opposition. There was little if any cooperation and you would never consider providing a neighbour with financial assistance. Consequently, snowmobiling in Muskoka was a nightmare; touring snowmobiling was non-existent as the snowmobiler faced multiple permits and he or she required the instincts of an explorer to move from one community to another.