Angus to lockdown tourists: 'We are not your playground'

Timmins—James Bay MP Charlie Angus is objecting to visitors to his riding he worries are flaunting the provincial lockdown rules by flocking north on snowmobile trips.

"Everybody is doing their best to keep safe in this lockdown. I will be contacting Porcupine Health Unit  and the  Ontario Provincial Police — North East Region to look into concerns about snowmobilers not respecting the lockdown." 

One particular social media post containing the slogan "#fckcovid" caught Angus' eye and the MP shared a screenshot of it on his official Charlie Angus NDP—NPD Facebook page.

"I was very concerned to see this post from someone coming into our area and bragging about F-kCOVID," posted Angus. "I will be speaking with health officials and police to ensure that party crews coming into our towns respect the COVID rules." 

The Ontario government has stated trails servicing snowmobiles will be allowed to remain open and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) says it will continue to operate "in accordance with all public health guidelines."

However, the trails that are open are exclusively in Northern Ontario, including one near Kapuskasing and another outside of Hornepayne.

"Snowmobilers are strongly encouraged to stay home and if they do ride, they need to be mindful of several other important factors related to the pandemic," according to the OFSC website, adding, "Ontarians should stay at home as much as possible to minimize transmission of the virus and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed."

Meanwhile, the OFSC website also observes "physical activity is an important part of staying healthy," and provides some direction for trail users when it comes to the provincial four-week lockdown south of Sudbury and two-week lockdown in the north.

"The OFSC strongly encourages all snowmobilers follow current public health measures and practice our Ride Smart 2021 common sense approach to trail riding, including: Plan Ahead. Be Aware. Mask Up. Clean Often. Spread Out."

The OFSC points out some of the challenges involved with riding on its trails during a lockdown, including food service being limited to take-out and delivery. Lodging is expected to continue uninterrupted under increased health and safety protocols.

There will also be a lack of facilities to consider for snowmobilers as "washrooms (including outhouses and warm up shelters) on the trails will be closed with no access to riders."

Angus added, "We are not your playground. This is where people live. The north offers us all a great opportunity to enjoy the wonderful outdoors. But people need to follow the provincial rules."

While the rider who irked Angus posted he was in the Smooth Rock Falls to Cochrane region, similar territorial trail issues could crop up locally. If the lockdown is extended — and once the local snowmobile season officially opens — Shawn Flindall, media coordinator for the North Bay Snowmobile Club, says those roles are clear.

 "There are some rules and regulations that have been put in place by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs that says that people have to respect the health unit that they live in," he says. "So if they are in a health unit that has been locked down they cannot travel to another area that is not locked down. It is not up to us to police that. It will be up to the OPP to police that." 

With files from Chris Dawson