Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

The former rail line between Perth-Andover and Plaster Rock that was later converted to a multi-use trail is now officially open for ATV riders. On Friday morning, July 18, members of the Victoria County ATV Club, the New Brunswick ATV Federation and others interested in the sport gathered behind the Perth-Andover post office at the fenced-off ATV yard and loading area to officially open the trail to ATVs.

Enlarge Photo

Jim McGinnis, president of the Victoria County ATV Club, was MC for the event that welcomed members of his club - including 86-year-old Sidney Poulson - and the provincial federation as well as Dr. Larry Kennedy, Victoria-Tobique MLA; Perth-Andover Mayor Rick Beaulieu and village councillors.

"Usually ATVing gets a lot of bad blows," McGinnis began, "but when we see something like this, it's very positive and very important."

McInnis outlined some of the history of the ATVers' efforts toward legal access to the trail, beginning with a 2002 request from the local ATV club to the provincial one that work begin to allow this access. This was followed by letters of support from the two villages at either end of the trail and various other businesses and groups along the trail. A 700-name petition in support followed and all this was presented to the provincial ATV federation and the Department of Natural Resources by Mark Johnson and Dennis Campbell, two members of the local club who also held provincial executive positions.

"On a sad note," McInnis said, "Dennis did not live long enough to see the full trail opened...but even in the last days he had he was questioning whether the trail was completely opened."

A fall 2006 open house in Perth-Andover was followed by one in Plaster Rock so that local people could give their opinions on the matter and after even more efforts, permission to use the trail was secured in the spring of 2007.

"It was then we discovered we had a lot of work to do," Jim McInnis said, "and in the team spirit we began by repairing culverts, cutting bushes and grass, building safe loading ramps (one in Arbuckle, one in Perth), digging out landslides, cutting fallen trees, repairing washouts, repairing bridges, and setting up a rest area along the Tobique."

He gave a special thank you to the volunteers who had worked hard on the projects, which also included building a 1600-foot fence in Perth so that people can walk separately from the ATV trail.

Dr. Kennedy said that he, as an enthusiast of the sport, was pleased that the trail was now officially opened.

"I'm an ATVer also," the MLA told the audience of about 70 near the Perth loading ramp. "I'm very excited about this and the future of extending this trail around the province and in this area itself, it's just great, so let's just keep at it."