2013 Convention – 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm, April 6, 2013

The Federation would like to thank each member-club for their presence at the AGM this weekend. Their participation is instrumental in the development of the Federation. With all the changes that have occurred this year, it was a well-needed meeting. We had some very interesting guest speakers with some pleasant surprises.

Kirk MacDonald, Department of Natural Resources – April 6, 2013

Kirk spoke to delegates about the trail application process and the Provincial Trail Planning Committee whose members include representatives of the NB ATV Federation, the NB Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, the NB Trail Council, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, the Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. Kirk mentioned that depending on the type of land the trail is located, i.e.: Crown lands, highways, towns, etc., there is a difference in the actions taken to access them. Also, since DNR has certain requirements for maintenance that need to be met, staff carries out inspections to confirm these are being respected. If requirements are not met, a notice of non-compliance is sent to the ATV Federation office and a Compliance Action Plan is required. It is important to know these things, as this is how clubs legally acquire their trails.

Robert Fawcett & John Gilbert, J. D. Irving, Limited – April 6, 2013

Robert Fawcett, Director of Forestry Relations and John Gilbert, Manager of Fish and Wildlife, with J.D. Irving Limited attended the AGM to speak to the clubs about trails on Irving property. In essence, the company is working to make it easier for clubs to develop trails on their property. In particular, they mentioned an ATV trail that could be built next to a 72 km road. The coffee break was also sponsored by J.D. Irving for this AGM. The presentation was very appreciated by the ATV Federation, and we are looking forward to working with J. D. Irving in the near future.

Hon. Minister Robert Trevors, Department of Public Safety – April 6, 2013

After supper, the guest speaker, Mr. Robert Trevors, the Minister of Public Safety, took the opportunity to thank the Federation and the members for their hard work in building and maintaining an ATV trail system in the province. He also mentioned that the Government will be introducing legislative changes in the current session of the Legislature in particular to amend the definition of a managed trail to legalize approximately 5,000 km of trails on Crown Land in the province. This was great news that has been a long-time coming.

The Federation wishes to thank the speakers for taking the time out of their busy schedules to inform the members. Their presence was appreciated.

2013 Annual General Meeting – 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, April 7, 2013

During the AGM, the President, Daniel Boucher; the General Manager, Jacques Poirier; and the Directors presented their reports. The Treasurer, Paul Branscombe, also presented his report, including the Audited Financial Statements for 2011-2012 and the NBATVF 2013-2014 budget. The accounting firm, AC Bringloe Feeney LLP, was re-appointed as NBATVF Auditor for the year 2013-2014.

Trail Permits

After the first break, clubs had a chance to discuss the proposed changes to trail permits. In terms of permit costs, the decision was made to keep the status quo for 2013 and 2014, i.e.: $25.00 plus tax for the seasonal permit and $75.00 plus tax for the Annual Permit. In addition, the permits will be available for purchase at the club level, like in the past, and through Service New Brunswick (SNB) outlets in person or online when the process has been established. It is anticipated that there will be an administration fee of approx. $6.00 when purchasing a permit from SNB.

Note: the Federation is now out of seasonal permits. Clubs can use the annual permits and sell them as seasonal, but must ensure that the annual permit sold as seasonal are clearly marked and dated.

Sign Manual

After lunch, Jacques and Daniel presented the revised Sign Manual and Schematics. The sign manual is now officially available to clubs. Signs can be purchased from two locations in the province; Visicom in Edmundston, and Massive Graphics in Fredericton.

By-laws

The proposed changes to the General By-laws were presented. Bob Randall of the Nashwaak Valley ATV Club proposed that the AGM documentation be sent 45 days in advance in the future. The by-laws were accepted with the change.

Elections

Alban Thériault, chair of the Nomination and Elections Committee introduced the nominees for the position of Vice President; Roger Daigle and Paul Martin. After the vote, Roger Daigle was elected. The nominees for Treasurer were Paul-Aimé Mallet and Paul Branscombe. Paul Branscombe was re-elected. The nominees for Director-At-Large were Paul Martin and Marion St. Pierre. Marion St. Pierre was elected. Congratulations to all!

Door Prize

Mitchel Lavoie won the door prize, a Federation multi-tool.

Federation Sponsored Events!

The Summer Sponsored Event

The summer sponsored event was awarded to the Eastern Charlotte ATV Club. The event will take place in Pocologan, Charlotte County, starting July 12, 2013 until July 14, 2013.

The Fall Sponsored Event

The fall sponsored event was awarded to the Club VTT du Nord-Ouest Inc. The event will take place October 5, 2013. Registrations will be held the day of the event from 7:30 am until the start of the event at 9:00 am.

The Winter Sponsored Event

The winter sponsored event was awarded to the Albert County Trail Blazers Inc. The event will take place in February 2014 in conjunction with the town of Riverview’s Winterlude Days at the Coverdale Recreation Centre.

Congratulations to the three clubs. May the trails be with you!

All in all, this AGM was very successful, a lot of information was provided, numerous questions were answered and the club representatives were pleased with the results. A big thank you goes out to all the clubs, the guest speakers and the staff of the Rodd Miramichi for their great service and hospitality.

The Federation would like to inform clubs that there is a possibility that the AGM will be held in Fredericton in 2014 as long as we find a hotel that can accommodate everyone inside one building, and that the cost stays about the same.

A special meeting was requested by Region 7 Director, Jim McGregor, on behalf of the Region 7 clubs in the Fredericton and Oromocto area. Jacques Poirier, General Manager, and Daniel Boucher, President were asked to attend this meeting. It was convened to discuss several issues these clubs are facing. The devotion and professionalism of these clubs was greatly appreciated by Daniel and Jacques. The meeting took place on December 20, 2012 at 7:00 pm. Based on the outcome of the meeting, Jacques, Daniel and the Executive Committee are in agreement to revisit the previous decisions taken by the Board of Directors (BOD) at the next BOD meeting on January 13, 2013.

Furthermore, the Federation President, Daniel Boucher, will establish an ADHOC Committee. The role and responsibility of this committee will be to review the new Off-Road Vehicle Act, the ATV trail agreements, the motions passed in regards to the trail permits at the 2009 Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the decisions made by the BOD. The second step is to consult with Federation clubs and to present a report to the BOD to put forth recommendations to the membership for consideration at the 2013 AGM.

It is with broken hearts that we regret to inform you that David Lynch, our Vice President, and club President of the Rusagonis ATV Club passed away yesterday, November 13, 2012. He was at his camp near Sussex with his friend Mike and his son Corry doing what he loves to do. He was a great man, loyal to the ATV community and his family and friends. Our sincere sympathies go out to his wife, and their two sons, his family members, and his friends. He will be dearly missed.