See the following link for our latest emailed BEAST News Update.
https://mailchi.mp/4468dd5d2223/zxbyf5qmj7?e=e4913278d5
Sep 18
Trans Canada Trail Update on Brushing
And we’re done!
The brushing work on the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) is completed.
Earlier this year the BEAST Snowmobile Club was fortunate to receive a grant from Trans Canada Trail. Originally, we asked for enough money to cover the purchase of new signs and posts. Fortunately, we received more than what we asked for so we were able to expand the scope of the work to include brushing the trail from Stittsville (Westridge Dr.) to Carleton Place. The brushing took place over many warms weeks in June and July. Once the brushing was completed we used a wood chipper to chop what was cut into find wood chips and dispersed to the sides of the trail. There was so much material stacked up to be chipped it took 4 different days and many volunteers working in very hot and dusty conditions to get it completed. We also had the use of a mechanical brusher on a tractor to help push back much of the encroaching vegetation and make it that much easier to manually cut smaller brush and trees from the trails edges. Overall we figured there was over 200 hours of volunteer time involved in this project. The results speak for themselves.
If you are a biker or hiker the next few weeks would be a great time to travel along the trail with the fall colours approaching. You will find as you move east to west you will encounter more and larger complete canopies of trees covering the trail giving us a tunnel effect.
The BEAST would like to thank all our volunteers who committed time to help complete this work. Your efforts not only benefit the snowmobile club but also the many other users of the trail.
The BEAST also extends our thanks for the continued cooperation and support of the City of Ottawa.
Here are some pictures of the work that was completed.
Aug 17
Trans Canada Trail – Final Push
UPDATE:
Volunteers needed to help with the FINAL PUSH to chip the brush on the Trans Canada Trail(TCT). The date will be this coming Saturday August 21th. We will gather at the Jinkinson Road parking lot (adjacent to the TCT) at 8 a.m.
Arial view of the Jinkinson Road Parking shown below. Access Jinkinson Road from Hazeldean Road near the Hwy 7 interchange, or from Fernbank Road, east of Dwyer Hill Road.
What is required of the volunteer: Primarily, the volunteer will be picking up piled brush from the shoulder of the trail and bring it to the chipper.
What you will need: Work wear including good footwear, safety glasses, ear protection and gloves. You are welcome to bring your own refreshments but a cooler with water and soft drinks will be on site. Lunch will be provided by the club. If all goes well the work should be done by 3 pm.
We have the use of a large chipper for the day so the work will go fairly quickly. We would like to know who and how many people can help so a reply to info@thebeast.ca would be very helpful.
This ask is not only for BEAST volunteers. If you know someone who uses the trail they are more than welcome to join us. Many hands make light work.
Hoping to see a good crew show up to finish this task. The City of Ottawa will be cutting the grass along the trail before the end of the month so we don’t want to encumber their work.
Cheers,
Ian Edwards
BEAST President
Contact us by e-mail at info@thebeast.ca
Jul 13
Trans Canada Trail Cleanup
Update: We had a great day on saturday with some great volunteers. Thanks to all who came out to help! See the pictures at following link: https://www.thebeast.ca/photo-gallery-2021-2022-season/
UPDATE:
Saturday July 24th we are proceeding with the trail brushing and chipping as planned. Here are the details,
We will meet at the park and ride at Hwy 7 and Cemetery Side Road at 8 a.m. Volunteers will be shuttled over to the work area to begin shortly after 8.
What you will need to bring,
Hearing protection, eye protection, work clothes, good boots or shoes that are waterproof (wet grass) and work gloves. Any chainsaws or other tools required will be available on site. If you wish to bring your own refreshments that’s fine but there will be a cooler with refreshments paid for by the club. Lunch will be provided by the club.
We hope you can help. See you then.
Email us if you can make it or if any questions at info@thebeast.caBackground:
The BEAST was fortunate to receive a grant to be used exclusively upgrading the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) from Stittsville to Carleton Place. The grant has some strings attached though in that the work needs to be completed before July 31, 2021. Efforts have been made to begin working on the trail but we will need some help to finish.
Saturday July 24th we are proceeding with the trail brushing and chipping as planned. Here are the details,
We will meet at the park and ride at Hwy 7 and Cemetery Side Road at 8 a.m. Volunteers will be shuttled over to the work area to begin shortly after 8.
What you will need to bring,
Hearing protection, eye protection, work clothes, good boots or shoes that are waterproof (wet grass) and work gloves. Any chainsaws or other tools required will be available on site. If you wish to bring your own refreshments that’s fine but there will be a cooler with refreshments paid for by the club. Lunch will be provided by the club.
We hope you can help. See you then.
Email us if you can make it or if any questions at info@thebeast.caBackground:
The BEAST was fortunate to receive a grant to be used exclusively upgrading the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) from Stittsville to Carleton Place. The grant has some strings attached though in that the work needs to be completed before July 31, 2021. Efforts have been made to begin working on the trail but we will need some help to finish.
On Saturday July 24th, we have the use of a much larger chipper for the entire day. We will need many able bodied people to feed the chipper.
Cheers,
Ian Edwards
BEAST President
Contact us by e-mail at info@thebeast.ca
May 30
2021 UCSR Sled Raffle Tickets
2021 UCSR Sled Raffle is on! See the event detalls below.
Come and see us at Carleton Place Farmers Market on Sat Jun 26, 8:30am-12:30pm, to purchase 2021 UCSR Sled Raffle tickets, just $5 per ticket. Sleds and Trailer will be on display!
Tickets may now also be purchased at:
Blacks Corners Motorsports 613-253-2115
Carleton Place Marine 613-257-1772
Perth Powersports and Marine 613-267-3443
Clayton General Store.613-256-1947
Contact tickets@thebeast.ca, or Gord Servant at 613-250-0437, if you would like to purchase by e-transfer. Tickets will be filled out with your info and a scaned copy returned to you by e-mail.
Good luck!
May 02
BEAST Volunteer Awards
Normally these awards are announced in a public setting at one of our events or meetings, unfortunately not possible due to current COVID restrictions. Congratulations to our winners for the past two seasons. Thanks to our many volunteers, all who deserve recognition for their efforts.
2019/2020 Club Level
Volunteer of the Year: Darin McRae, $100 Gift Card
Family of the Year: BJ McMahon and Alexis, $100 Gift Card
Rookie of the Year: Ian Myatt, $50 Gift Card
2019/2020 Sector Volunteer of the Year
SW: Jim Lackey, $50 Gift Card
NW: Darrel Drew, $50 Gift Card
NE: Bruce Brydges, $50 Gift Card
SE: Dave Poaps, $50 Gift Card
2020/2021 Club Level
Volunteer of the Year: Gord Servant, $100 Gift Card
Family of the Year: Brent and Shannon Phifer, $100 Gift Card
Rookie of the Year: Val Illingworth, $50 Gift Card
2020/2021 Sector Volunteer of the Year
SW: Sean Charon, $50 Gift Card
NW: Grant Penstone, $50 Gift Card
NE: Greg Davidson, $50 Gift Card
SE: Steve Gibson, $50 Gift Card
Mar 24
BEAST Thanks our Volunteers
The BEAST would like to thank our many volunteers who work to setup the trails, not only clearing and brushing, but also installing the many signs and pickets needed to mark the trails. Much work is also done in the spring to take down signs and pickets and close gates.
Congratulations BEAST volunteers, we are provincial recipients in our District 1 as “Outstanding Club of the Year 2020”, see the release from OFSC below.
See the BEAST website Photo Gallery at the following link for some of the projects this past season.
https://www.thebeast.ca/
In the following OFSC release, note that BEAST made the provincial recipients list as District “Outstanding Club of the Year 2020”!
OFSC Released the Following:
Each year, close to 6,000 volunteers build and maintain OFSC snowmobile trails for all of us to enjoy. All of our volunteers continue to overcome many challenges to contribute to the recreational, social and economic well-being of their communities. Normally, we are able to celebrate these accomplishments in person at our AGM, but we were unable to gather this past year and then we were all swamped with keeping trails available during COVID uncertainties.
However, we have not forgotten that our 2020 recipients still deserve their hard-earned recognition – and it’s never too late to do it.
So with our apologies for the delay, we are honouring them throughout March, on social media as part of our end of season Volunteer Appreciation initiatives. Each of the five major awards received by districts will be highlighted individually and recipients sent their award plaque. Next, the OFSC will announce our provincial recipients for 2020 in a provincial media release and congratulate them personally in a special Zoom call.
First up, please join us in celebrating the district winners of the 2020 Outstanding OFSC Club of the Year.
This award is presented to an OFSC Club in recognition of exceptional and innovative activities in one or more of the following areas: Participation Development, Rider Experience, Volunteerism and/or Partnership Development.
District 1 –
Beautiful Eastern Association of Snowmobile Trails (BEAST)
District 2 –
Havelock & District Snowmobile Club
District 5 –
Nith Valley Sno-Surfers
District 6 –
Whitewater Sno-Goers
District 10 –
Six Star Snow Riders
District 12 –
Valley Trailmasters
District 13 –
St Joseph Island Voyageurs Snowmobile Club
District 14 –
Golden Corridor Snowdrifters Kirkland Lake & Area
District 15 –
Club Les Grondeurs
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO
Mar 24
Many Thanks to our Landowners
BEAST would like to thank our generous landowners who donate the use of a portion of their private property for snowmobile trails each winter.
OFSC has declared the week of March 22-28 as OFSC Landowner Appreciation Week 2021.
OFSC Landowner Appreciation Week 2021 marks the wind-down of the 2020-21 snowmobiling season. But stay tuned, because it’s also the precursor to an ambitious Stay On The Trail/Anti-Trespass Campaign to support our landowners already being planned by the OFSC for launch next fall.
Click on the link below to see the full release from OFSC.
Feb 12
BEAST 306 Trail Update
You may recall our recent post about BEAST 306 trail between Clayton and West Carleton Snowmobile Club at Sugarbush Road. The local landowner was fed up with the off-trail riding on their property, and this resulted in a portion of the 306 and 308 being closed, resulting in more road running. See the Facebook post of February 8, showing the affected area.
We are very fortunate that our BEAST volunteers have worked hard to create and install extra signage, and arrange for some ongoing surveillance(we will be watching, smile for the cameras), and ask the landowner for another chance. As a result, the landowner has been very gracious to give us one more chance, effective Friday Feb 12, the gates will be re-opened.
We all need to spread the word that if the off-trail riding problem does not cease, we will lose this trail permanently. Stay on the trail or this trail will be permanently closed. This trail will be shut down if you cannot stay on the groomed marked portion, then there will be 7 miles of road running.
If you see this happening take a picture or video if possible. What we need is the license number, date, time, and location. Send the details to info@thebeast.ca. At least a police report can be filed and hopefully the offenders will be dealt with.
Going forward, we need everyone’s help to stop this off trail riding. The police, landowner or volunteer can’t be everywhere to see this happening.
Shown below is the affected area and some of the signage going up.
