A bylaw that could allow for ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) to access certain municipal roads in 100 Mile House may be in the works.
The bylaw was floated as a legislative consideration in a May 22 council report that was received by the District of 100 Mile House Committee of the Whole meeting on June 10. It was a part of a lengthy resolution passed by council, which "would permit Off-Road vehicles (ORVs) to operate on certain designated municipal roads for the purpose of accessing essential services and amenities."
The motivation to develop the bylaw came after the 108 ATV Club had asked for access to town for fuel, food and lodging.
"One of the things they like to do, same as the snowmobilers, is start at 70 Mile and do the Gold Rush Snowmobile Trail up through to Wells, as well as other other people that just stopped here and ATV around, they would need to be able to get gas, food, housing, so stay in a motel overnight or whatever," District of 100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinkney said.
Currently, ATVs can cross roads legally with permits from the RCMP. The proposal is to allow ATVs on frontage roads to access gas stations and services within 100 Mile House. In B.C., bylaws that allow for off-road vehicles exist in the District of Tumbler Ridge (since 2016), and the village of Sayward (since 2019) - both of which had had "successful implementation" of such bylaws according to Tammy Boulanger, the district's chief administrative officer.
There are some challenges with potentially allowing ATVs to access 100 Mile frontage roads - specifically, "community access, CN (Canadian National) Rail crossing and crown lands", according to the report. The only crossings of the CN rail in existence within the district are a controlled public crossing that costs the district $9,864 and a private crossing which is managed by the 100 Mile Snowmobile Club, the report adds.
The district has formally contacted CN to discuss the private crossing and to permit ORVs to utilize the crossing to allow for access to the community.
"CN would formally require the district to hire an engineering firm, to survey, design and confirm the crossing is up to standards; or how to bring it up to standards set out by Transport Canada. TRUE Engineering provided a quote of $4,043 for the initial crossing assessment," wrote the report.
The district was presented with three options - that they not proceed with the initiative and leave development of ORV access to community-based organizations, proceed with the engineering assessment (which would require consulting with the 100 Mile Snowmobile Club) or encourage user groups to pursue external funding opportunities.
Coun. Dave Mingo was in support of the idea, saying that there are many tourism benefits to this idea.
"There is definitely a tourism impact to us on this. If someone can go to Clinton, unload their ATV and ride to 100 Mile House, stay overnight in a motel, pay for food in a restaurant, get gas, and then the next morning, get back out on the trails again and go to the next stop and go back to Clinton," Mingo stated. "I'd be all in favour of us who let them get to the municipal boundary - and let's work with them today."
Pinkney added that in the conversations she had with the club, the ATV club expressed interest in doing all the legwork. Pinkney also added that the 100 Mile House RCMP is in favour of such a proposed bylaw.
"They have to do the permitting and stuff, but they are in favour of it," Pinkney said.
She added that there will be a lot of work that will need to be done regarding the two rail crossings within the District of 100 Mile House.
Public consultation will be required before the bylaw is even developed, with Boulanger noting that there is a need to engage with all the user groups of 99 Mile.
"The Nordics and the walking groups, and I'm sure anybody who is a resident in those areas might have something to say," Boulanger said.
Council ultimately chose to move the resolution forward for consideration at a future council meeting. Prior to any bylaw being written council will have to refer the matter to the RCMP and the Ministry of Infrastructure, in addition to engaging in public consultation.
