Grey County council wants to look at options to keep all terrain vehicles out of a county forest near Markdale.
At its meeting on Jan. 12, Grey County council received a staff report regarding damage being done to ski trails by unauthorized ATV usage in the county forest near Markdale known as Glenelg Klondyke. In the report, county staff recommended that Grey reach out to the Municipality of West Grey and request that council consider modifying its off-road vehicle bylaw to prohibit those vehicles from using Hamilton Lane, Concession 8 and an unopened road allowance. Staff said this move would help keep the vehicles away from the forest.
However, county council voted to defer the report to a later date until more information about possible enforcement options could be made available by staff.
County trails and forestry coordinator Natalie Mechalko reported to council that the trails have been damaged so extensively by off-road vehicle usage that the local ski club that grooms the trails has been unable to do so for cross-country skiing. The Glenelg Nordic Ski Club may leave the forest if the trails can’t be remedied in the future.
Mechalko said signage advising that off-road vehicles are not permitted in the forest have been removed and said there have been confrontations between non-motorized vehicle and off-road vehicle riders over the use of the forest. Such incidents have been reported to police. She said if West Grey removed those roads from its list of roads where off-road vehicles are permitted, it could help alleviate the situation.
“Ultimately it will be West Grey’s decision,” she said.
Members of county council preferred to get more information before venturing down the path of asking a lower-tier municipality to change its policies.
Owen Sound Deputy Mayor Scott Greig said he has skied in the Glenelg Klondyke forest and suggested strict enforcement is the way forward.
“It is a gem of a property. Removing the roads is not going to deter the individuals responsible for the damage there. The individuals at fault are not upstanding members of the ATV club,” said Greig, who suggested the option of solar-powered cameras to monitor the trails as one possibility. “Enforcement is ultimately what we have to pursue here.”
