The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority owns parcels of land from Hwy’s 35/115 in the west to Honey Road in the east. The past three years, especially, have seen a noticeable increase in the number of motorized vehicles using roads in the easterly sections of the East Forest – mainly east of County Road 10. This area of the GRCA has very little acreage, and five small, unconnected plots of GRCA lands.
Nearly all motorized vehicles are traveling into this section illegally!
As one can see from the map, most (ATV’s, ROV’s, and dirt bikes) must use Municipal roads (9th and 10th Line- PH) to access this part of the East Forest which contravenes the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.
Off-Road Vehicles (ORV’s) from the west use Concession Line 10 -east of County Road #10 which is illegal. ORV’s from the east use the Bewdley tunnel under HWY #28- illegally- to access snowmobile trails- illegally- to finally access GRCA trails, and many come directly in on Concession Line #9 - also illegally! The noisy, dangerous bottleneck here is primarily Concession Line 9 at Woodvale
School Road.
Motorized vehicles using this small section east of Cty. Rd. #10 have increased, not only in numbers, but also in power (noise), speed and size.
These changes in numbers, power, speed and size have resulted in an increasing concern for the safety of passive users of this section which is well-populated on its edges with residential homes, small farms (local farmers in this area have had vehicles driving across their open crop land causing significant damage to yields)
and visited by nature lovers, photographers, hikers and dog-walkers. Many property owners are also equestrians who have purchased land along Wright Road, Cty. Rd. #10, 10th Line east of Cty. Rd. #10, Woodvale School Rd., Honey Road and the 9th Concession Line in order to access the forest trails here.
Degradation of trails in this small, road-locked section is quite dramatic. Erosion on many trails has become severe, with banking caused by motorbikes and ATV’s up to heights of 3 feet, limiting use by passive members even further.
Volunteer patrollers, who offer their time to help educate users and to spot check that vehicles have a User Pass required by the GRCA, are noticing more infringements and a more aggressive headset by some drivers of larger, faster, more powerful machines to the point these drivers will just power through a spot check and force the patroller to move out of the way.
Safety, trail degradation and noise levels, as well as illegal access by ORV’s are growing concerns for the residents and passive users of the east, East Forest -specifically east of Cty. Rd 10
WE the Undersigned agree with and support this Petition to
Ask the GRCA board to establish that sections of East Forest –those east of County Rd. #10 - become non-motorized sections of the Ganaraska Forest.
Updates
October 4, 2019
The GRCA has not responded to our inquiries yet but we are escalating this to the municipal council office today. Call your local representative and demand an immediate enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act on Concession Line 9. Post this link on your Facebook feed so the neighborhood understands the danger these vehicles pose to our trails.
October 4, 2019
We reached a major threshold and the momentum is clear. Post this link to Facebook now and email your local representative to demand they enforce the Highway Traffic Act.
12 Comments
Agree with asking the GRCA board to establish that sections of East Forest –those east of County Rd. #10 - become non-motorized sections of the Ganaraska Forest.
I heard of a scary incident involving a horse throwing a young girl because the dirt bikes separated a group of horse riders during a competition. Not Safe!!
The forest should not have motorized vehicles in it. It should be enjoyed by those who can listen to the woods, such as nature lovers, photographers, hikers, dog walkers, and equestrians. Having tracks that are specific to ATVs so that others may avoid them would be an excellent compromise.
It would be great if we could have a ruling to cover multiple forest areas in Ontario, ganaraska, dufferin etc...
For me, any type of racing or speed, motorized or not, takes away from truly enjoying the forest and nature
The forest should be a quiet peaceful place where people can go to enjoy nature. Motorized vehicles spoil that for everyone. They should be banned from the East forest.
Make the east part of the forest motor free please.
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The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority owns parcels of land from Hwy’s 35/115 in the west to Honey Road in the east. The past three years, especially, have seen a noticeable increase in the number of motorized vehicles using roads in the easterly sections of the East Forest – mainly east of County Road 10. This area of the GRCA has very little acreage, and five small, unconnected plots of GRCA lands.
Nearly all motorized vehicles are traveling into this section illegally!
As one can see from the map, most (ATV’s, ROV’s, and dirt bikes) must use Municipal roads (9th and 10th Line- PH) to access this part of the East Forest which contravenes the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.
Off-Road Vehicles (ORV’s) from the west use Concession Line 10 -east of County Road #10 which is illegal. ORV’s from the east use the Bewdley tunnel under HWY #28- illegally- to access snowmobile trails- illegally- to finally access GRCA trails, and many come directly in on Concession Line #9 - also illegally! The noisy, dangerous bottleneck here is primarily Concession Line 9 at Woodvale
School Road.
Motorized vehicles using this small section east of Cty. Rd. #10 have increased, not only in numbers, but also in power (noise), speed and size.
These changes in numbers, power, speed and size have resulted in an increasing concern for the safety of passive users of this section which is well-populated on its edges with residential homes, small farms (local farmers in this area have had vehicles driving across their open crop land causing significant damage to yields)
and visited by nature lovers, photographers, hikers and dog-walkers. Many property owners are also equestrians who have purchased land along Wright Road, Cty. Rd. #10, 10th Line east of Cty. Rd. #10, Woodvale School Rd., Honey Road and the 9th Concession Line in order to access the forest trails here.
Degradation of trails in this small, road-locked section is quite dramatic. Erosion on many trails has become severe, with banking caused by motorbikes and ATV’s up to heights of 3 feet, limiting use by passive members even further.
Volunteer patrollers, who offer their time to help educate users and to spot check that vehicles have a User Pass required by the GRCA, are noticing more infringements and a more aggressive headset by some drivers of larger, faster, more powerful machines to the point these drivers will just power through a spot check and force the patroller to move out of the way.
Safety, trail degradation and noise levels, as well as illegal access by ORV’s are growing concerns for the residents and passive users of the east, East Forest -specifically east of Cty. Rd 10
WE the Undersigned agree with and support this Petition to
Ask the GRCA board to establish that sections of East Forest –those east of County Rd. #10 - become non-motorized sections of the Ganaraska Forest.
Updates
October 4, 2019
The GRCA has not responded to our inquiries yet but we are escalating this to the municipal council office today. Call your local representative and demand an immediate enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act on Concession Line 9. Post this link on your Facebook feed so the neighborhood understands the danger these vehicles pose to our trails.
October 4, 2019
We reached a major threshold and the momentum is clear. Post this link to Facebook now and email your local representative to demand they enforce the Highway Traffic Act.
12 Comments
This area needs to be protected for the use of our children. Motorized vehicles damage the surface cover in this delicate region which leads to erosion. We must not lose focus on the fact that the forest was established to reduce erosion and protect the ground water resource. As horses and walking do not add to severely damage the surface cover I am signing this petition in support of the forest being open to them but not motorized vehicles.
Agree with asking the GRCA board to establish that sections of East Forest –those east of County Rd. #10 - become non-motorized sections of the Ganaraska Forest.
I heard of a scary incident involving a horse throwing a young girl because the dirt bikes separated a group of horse riders during a competition. Not Safe!!
The forest should not have motorized vehicles in it. It should be enjoyed by those who can listen to the woods, such as nature lovers, photographers, hikers, dog walkers, and equestrians. Having tracks that are specific to ATVs so that others may avoid them would be an excellent compromise.
It would be great if we could have a ruling to cover multiple forest areas in Ontario, ganaraska, dufferin etc...
For me, any type of racing or speed, motorized or not, takes away from truly enjoying the forest and nature
The forest should be a quiet peaceful place where people can go to enjoy nature. Motorized vehicles spoil that for everyone. They should be banned from the East forest.
Make the east part of the forest motor free please.
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This area needs to be protected for the use of our children. Motorized vehicles damage the surface cover in this delicate region which leads to erosion. We must not lose focus on the fact that the forest was established to reduce erosion and protect the ground water resource. As horses and walking do not add to severely damage the surface cover I am signing this petition in support of the forest being open to them but not motorized vehicles.