Great Snowmobiling atSaint Raymond, Quebec

February 2013

Test DriveOFSC TrailsAt No Cost!

2013 CleanSnowmobileChallenge on

Track forMarch 4-9

GreatSnowmobiling

at SaintRaymond,

Quebec

NORTH SUPERIOR PUBLISHING INC.

2013 Clean SnowmobileChallenge on Track

QuebecSnowmobiling

PAGE 2 SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013

OPTA's Feb 2nd 2013 Poker Derby in Sioux Lookout &Hudson Great Success!

This is our last issue of the season. We would like to thank all oursupporters and look forward to next season which will be our

20th year of publishing NW Ontario Snowmobile News. In the meantime visit www.slednews.com

A total of 54 riders participated in the event.Riders came from the surrounding area of

Atikokan, Dryden, and Fort Francis. The 9:00am start time was postponed by most until

11:00 am to allow the the mercury to rise. Allenjoyed the cold Northwestern temperatures,and groomed L701 and A trails of the OPTA.

The hard working volunteers of the club endedthe event with a social, held at Dick & Nellies

Bar and Grill. Fun, food and dancing wasenjoyed by all as the temperatures dropped

that evening again. Mike Starratt

The people of Quebec have a passion forthe sport of snowmobiling. It was fun forme to travel to the town of Saint Raymondfor three exciting days of riding on theircomprehensive trail system. It was veryeasy to fly to Quebec City from my home-town of Thunder Bay. You have yourchoice of many flights on Air Canada,West jet or Porter. After leaving at 8am Iwas in the beautiful Quebec City terminalbuilding at 12:30 and ready to begin myadventure.

Annie Martel of the Development Officeof Saint Raymond was there to meet meand we began our 40 minute drive east toSaint Raymond with lots of snow evidenton the ground. Our first stop was to theHotel Roquement which features 44 roomsincluding 17 brand new with an recentaddtion, as well as dining area, bar andeven a gated compound to store yoursnowmobile. This hotel caters very muchto the snowmobiler and offers packagesthat feature breakfast and dinner included.This very nice property is located right onthe trail that allows you to explore 500 km

in Saint Raymond alone!A few miles away is Quebec’s largest Ski

Doo dealer, Dion Moto. They offer 702012 and 2013 Ski Doo rental sledsincluding the GTX, MXZ Renegade andExpedition models featuring 600 ACE and1200 4Tec engines. You can also get all

your clothing if required from boots to hel-met.The cost to rent your Ski Doo can rangefrom around $200 to $288 per day and thatincludes all taxes,trail permit and insur-ance. There is what they call a franchisedeposit of $1500 to $3000 in case of anaccident. Dion Moto also has guides avail-able that will travel the whole trip withyou and show you the area in style.Another great feature of Dion Moto is theywill pick you up at the Quebec City airportand bring you to their location eliminatingthe need for a rental car.

Dion Moto is a very impressive snow-mobile dealer that sells 500 sleds per yearincluding 300 brand new and 200 used SkiDoos. Their market is 60% from the areaincluding Quebec City and 40% from thenorthern regions. They have 35 employeesand operate from a 25,000 square feetbuilding. Very interesting is their buildingpreviously was a motel operation. Theypurchased the building and have made ittheir own including large showroom, rentalarea, enclosed sled storage and even a usedshowroom in the basement. It is reallyquite impressive and great to see if you arean snowmobile lover. The rental side ofthe business sees 60% of their businessfrom Quebec and area and 40% Europeanpeople. The European audience rides dur-ing the week and weekends the renters are

from Montreal and Quebec.It was fun to talk to Mr. Dion with Annie

as my interpreter. “ He likes to ride snow-mobiles but doesn’t have the time today.Mr. Dion used to do 5000 km a season but

not now. In Saint Raymond the snowmo-bile is much more popular thanATV?because there are more trails forsnowmobile,”?said Annie Martel. “ Wehave 1300 trail permit members in SaintRaymond and the trail system works onlybecause of volunteers . We can start the

season around December 15th and rideuntil March 15th. You can also travel a bitmore north and ride until April 30th.” Thetrail permits costs if you bring your ownsled is $280 until Dec 8th and $340 after

that. We had our 2013 Ski DooExpedition 600 ACE and were ready tobegin our snowmobile adventure the nextday.

Continued Next Page

www.slednews.com

Great Snowmobiling at Saint Raymond, Quebec

SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 3

BY SCOTT A. SUMNERNW Ontario Snowmobile News

Top Christine and dave were great hosts, La Bastide bed and breakfast property andSide: Ice fishing is popular here

Continued from Previous PageOur first ride was to Lake Edward, 160

kilometers one way up into the mountainsto Demain Lake Edward. The day wasbright and sunny, about -9 degrees Celsius

and our group of 11 was ready to put onsome kilometers! The first thing I noticedriding was the excellent marking of thetrails. You had signage everywhere youneeded and this makes you feel more com-fortable riding in a new area. Of courseour guide today was the local SnowmobileClub President who knew the trails like theback of his hand and also had a GPSmounted on his sled!

“ We are in Port Neuf Capital National,the 03 region which used to be calledQuebec. In Saint Raymond we have 500kms of trail and the district has 7 or 8clubs. The snow conditions have beenexcellent and were open before Christmastime. We can get 250cm to 400 cm ofsnow per year,” said Christine Clouthier,General Manager of Development for

Saint Raymond- Residential, Commercialand Tourism. “ The trails are groomed 4times a week and kept it in good conditionwith 10 volunteers and 4 groomers. In thetown the trail is on the old railroad trackand in the summer becomes a bicycle trail.

We have people coming here to ride fromOntario, Vermont, Maine and New York.They come back year after year becausewe have lots of snow and they like theconditions. Also they can do some loopsand come back to the same hotel everynight if that is what they prefer. There iseven a storage location for snowmobilesyou can rent near our town offices. Wehave Americans who store their sleds thereand come here 5 or 6 times a year, buy atrail pass and ride.”

It was fun to stop along our ride in theclub shack that had the wood stove goingand made for an interior temperature of 92degrees Fahrenheit! The club has eveninstalled solar power with batteries here toprovide lighting. Our ride continued on avariety of trails some winding as well as

more open to our lunch stop at DemainLake Edward. The ride back was excellentas well with a stop at historic Relais de laMarmite in Portneuf National Park.Operator Clement Tardif, a former radio

announcer in Quebec City, served me hotchocolate and introduced a local trapperthere taking a break. The trapper showedme some of his recent catch including anotter on his I phone! Todays trapper is high

teck! After this stop we hopped back on toour sleds to an ice condition. It has startedraining and made the remaining 50 kilome-ters ride back a little harder to see. Overallwe rode 325 kilometers on our trip and this

was a great riding day. Rain in January inQuebec is pretty rare but I guess we mustexpect everything in 2013!

Continued Next Page

Great Snowmobiling at Saint Raymond, Quebec

PAGE 4 SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013

2012 Polaris 550 IQ ShiftReg – $7499 + $495 Frt & PDI

Blow out price $5649 (inc frt & pdi)

Lowest price new sled out there!

2012 Yamaha RS VECTOR L-TXReg- $14399 + $595 Frt & PDI

Blow out price $10499 (inc frt & pdi)

With Power Steering!

2013 Polaris Switchback Pro RInternational Edition

Reg - $14199 + $495 Frt & PDI

Blow out price $11675 (inc frt & pdi)

Electric Start!

Check out our website for many more specials!

Continued From Previous pageOur next day’s ride was to include an

overnight trip to Lac St Jean and theMont Valin but the rain meant we decidedto stay closer to home. It was fun to ridethe trails near Saint Raymond and onestop was to an ice fishing area, which is apassion here. It was a carnival atmos-phere on the ice and the beaver tail sug-ary treat was excellent.

My last riding day included a ride toDuchnesnay Station Touristique that is a5 star hotel that used to host the famousICE?Hotel operation in Quebec. Theirbuffet breakfast is well known and was areal treat to experience. The food optionsare great in Quebec and the people arevery passionate about their food.

My last night’s stay in Saint Raymondwould be at the historic La Bastide bedand breakfast. This 110-year-old propertyfeatures 7 rooms each with their ownbathroom and fine dining at it’s best. It islocated in the village setting of SaintRaymond and snowmobilers can ridetheir sleds right to the back door. LaBastide offers snowmobiler packagesincluding breakfast and a 5-course finedining experience if you choose. It is afun place to stay and offers a contrast tothe traditional hotel setting of today.

My trip to Saint Raymond was excel-lent and included 600 Kilometers of greatsnowmobiling. The people here were ahighlight of the trip. The small townnature of the area meant everyone youmet was very genuine and ready to helpat all times. Their goal is to make yourtime there special!

I would like to thank Christine, Dave andAnnie for all their help during my visitand I hope to return again one day.

www.villesaintraymound.cawww.dionmoto.comwww.bastide.cawww.roquemont.com

Great Snowmobiling at Saint Raymond, Quebec

SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 5

Above: Maple surup is a big business here. It was fun riding the trail between so many Maple trees some with their ornage leavesstill visible

OFSC Announces New Try Our TrailsPermit for Ontario’s Family Day LongWeekend

(Barrie, ON – January 14, 2013) Foranyone who has ever wanted to trysnowmobiling, Family Day LongWeekend provides an ideal opportunity –and now Ontarians are invited to testdrive available OFSC trails at no chargefor a permit!In cooperation with the Honourable BobChiarelli and his Ministry ofTransportation of Ontario (MTO), theOntario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs(OFSC) is celebrating Ontario’smid?winter statutory holiday long week-end with the launch of a 2013 “Try OurTrails” Permit to encourage more peopleto get outdoors and enjoy winter bygoing snowmobiling on OFSC trails. Thenew permit is available at no cost tothose who pre?register online and isvalid only from 12:01 AM Saturday,February 16 until 11:59 PM on Monday,February 18, 2013.“As part of our Go SnowmobilingOntario Campaign, the 2013 Try OurTrails Permit is our invitation toOntarians to give us a try this winter atno cost for a permit,” said OFSCPresident Brenda Welsh. “For FamilyDay Long Weekend, we want to shownew participants what we have to offer,to introduce them to our trails, clubs andvolunteers, and to provide them with atruly enjoyable and memorable winteradventure.”The 2013 Try Our Trails Permit is avail-able only by pre?registering online atwww.ofsc.on.ca, completing the Try OurTrails Permit application form and print-ing out a permit good for Family DayLong Weekend only. There is no chargefor either the 2013 Try Our Trails Permitor the registration process, but to access

OFSC trails, the printed permit must beaffixed to the sled to which it is assignedin accordance with Ontario law. Any sledon OFSC trails without a permit onFamily Day Long Weekend is illegal andthe operator can be subject to a fine ofup to $1,000. Riders must also carry avalid driver’s licence or Snow VehicleOperator’s Licence, sled registration,proof of insurance, and follow all therules and assumptions for safe OFSCtrail riding.The 2013 Try Our Trails Permit is agreat fit with the “Get Out and EnjoyWinter” Campaign launched this seasonby the OFSC, Ontario Tourism and the

Ontario Snow Resorts Association tointroduce more Ontarians to winter funon the snow. With 217 community basedclubs and over 150,000 family members,the Ontario Federation of SnowmobileClubs is a volunteer led not?for?profitassociation, which through strong leader-ship, provides a wide range of qualityprograms and services to, and on behalfof, its member organizations. Our30,000+ kilometre provincial network oforganized snowmobile trails connectsOntario communities, providing respon-sible riding experiences that are safe,enjoyable, and environmentallysustainable.

Test Drive OFSC Trails At No Cost!

PAGE 6 SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013

126 Queen Street, Longlac, ONOwners Marvin & Joanne Picard

Four Winds Motel100 Keewatin Avenue

Longlac, ON P0T 2A0

4winds@cnjcc.net

• High Speed Internet

• Continental Breakfast

• Conference Room Facilities

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS

807-876-4474

BY YOURWAY INNS

L'OREE DES BOIS

150 Queen Street,

Longlac, Ontario

807-876-2252

By Marcia Goodrich

Teams of college students from acrossthe Snow Belt will converge on theCopper Country March 4-9 for the 2013SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge.Their aim is to reduce emissions andnoise and increase fuel efficiency whilepreserving the riding excitementdemanded by snowmobile enthusiasts.And for the first time, anybody, any-where can support that mission throughthe crowdfunding site Superior Ideas.

Challenge organizers are hoping to raise$10,000 to underwrite awards for thestudent engineers, who spend monthsand sometimes years fine-tuning snow-mobiles to meet the demands of thecompetition.

“Students learn critical lessons abouthands-on engineering and designing forthe environment, plus the CleanSnowmobile Challenge is a huge asset toour local community,” said co-organizerJay Meldrum. “Superior Ideas lets any-one be part of that by donating whateverthey can afford.” To find out more, go toSuperior Ideas-Clean SnowmobileChallenge.

A record 21 teams have registered thisyear. “We’re also looking forward tohosting two rookie teams: Queen’sUniversity in Ontario and RochesterInstitute of Technology in New York,”Meldrum said.

The Clean Snowmobile Challenge is acollegiate design competition of theSociety of Automotive Engineers. A totalof 14 teams are registered in the 2013Challenge’s internal combustion catego-ry. Seven teams are entered in theChallenge’s zero-emissions category, forbattery-powered electric sleds, which is

sponsored by the National ScienceFoundation. NSF uses electric snowmo-biles while conducting atmosphericresearch in pristine arctic locations.

Fuel economy—no matter what recipethe fuel—is again a top priority in thisyear’s Challenge. Internal-combustionsleds will need to adapt to fuels with arange of ethanol concentrations, fromE40 (40 percent) to E85 (85 percent). “Ifa team doesn’t design for that, theywon’t do well,” Meldrum said.

The diesel-powered entries from theState University of New York at Buffaloand North Dakota State University willface flex fuels with a soybean-basedcontent ranging from B00 (0 percent) toB9 (9 percent).

Winning sleds must do more than passmuster on quietness, emissions and fueleconomy. They also complete a 100-mileEndurance Run, which is a measure ofreliability. And acceleration and handlingevents test the entrants’ fun and rideabil-ity.

The whisper-quiet, ultra-clean zero-emis-sions sleds are rated on acceleration andhandling. They also undergo load tests todetermine their carrying capacity.

In addition to the NSF, major sponsorsinclude Aristo, AVL, Boss Snow Plow,Coca Cola of Hancock, DassaultSystems/Solid Works Corporation, GageProducts, International SnowmobileManufacturers Association, PCB GroupInc., Phoenix International-A John DeereCompany, Sensors Inc., DENSO, MahlePowertrain, Emitec and NGK/NTKSensors.

Local businesses provide services, dona-tions and in-kind contributions.Volunteers from the MichiganSnowmobile Association have pitched in

every year to provide logistical supportand guidance to team members.

Teams registered in the internal combus-tion category are Clarkson University(Potsdam, N.Y.), École de TechnologieSupérieure (Montreal), KetteringUniversity (Flint), MichiganTechnological University, North DakotaState University, Northern IllinoisUniversity, Rochester Institute ofTechnology, SUNY Buffalo, theUniversity of Idaho, the University ofMaine, the University of Waterloo(Ontario), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the University ofMinnesota Duluth.

Teams in the zero emissions category areClarkson, McGill University (Montreal),Michigan Tech, the South Dakota Schoolof Mines and Technology, Queen’sUniversity (Kingston, Ontario) theUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks,

Minnesota Duluth.

The Challenge is sponsored at Michigan

Tech by the Keweenaw Research Centerand the Department of MechanicalEngineering-Engineering Mechanics.

Updates will be posted on MichiganTech's Clean Snowmobile Challengesite.

Michigan Technological University(www.mtu.edu) is a leading publicresearch university developing new tech-nologies and preparing students to createthe future for a prosperous and sustain-able world. Michigan Tech offers morethan 130 undergraduate and graduatedegree programs in engineering; forestresources; computing; technology; busi-ness; economics; natural, physical andenvironmental sciences; arts; humanities;and social sciences.

SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 7

2013 Clean Snowmobile Challenge on Track for March 4-9

Clarkson University's four-stroke Ski-Doo won the internal combustion category of the2012 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge.

You could win a Scalarider G4 Powerset for snowmobiles!Approximate retail value $500.00

Tell us about your best snowmobile ride of the season. Write a brief description of where you rode,your sled, who you were with and what you enjoyed the most about your snowmobile experience.

You can submit up to 300 words and include a picture.

Send it to me scott@slednews.comWe'll pick the best submission and send you your new Scalarider G4 Powerset!!

The winning article will be published at www.slednews.com

Contest ends March 15th

For Marketing InformationCall

PAGE 8 SNOWMOBILE NEWS FEBRUARY 2013

Your Snowmobile

Headquarters

Maintenance

Accessories

His & Hers

Clothing

Thunder Center939 Fort William Road

Phone: 807-623-1999

Thunder Bay South1221 Arthur Street West

Phone: 807-475-4235

2013 Cadillac ATS* Preferred Equipment Group * 2.5 l i4 DI, DOHC, VVT *

Transmission, 6 Speed Automatic * Audio system, AM/FM Stereo, DualUSB Ports, SD Card Slot * Seats Front Bucket * Cadillac User

Experience ( CUE) * Choose your own options!

Lease for $399/mth License & Taxes ExtraDown payment $1950

399 Memorial AvenueThunder Bay, OnP7B 3Y4

Tel: (807) 683-4900Fax: (807) 345-8005Toll Free: 1-800-465-3915

2013 Cadillac ATS