After years of discussion, snowmobiles have been granted access to certain streets.
At tonight's meeting, Timmins council approved a bylaw to allow snowmobiles on certain roads to access trails, gas stations, restaurants and accommodations.
Snowmobiles are not allowed downtown, on major roads, or streets around schools.
Updating the city's bylaw to allow the access has been years in the making for the Timmins Snowmobile Club.
A couple of years ago, the club started working with the city for a multi-year trial program to make the city more snowmobile friendly.
The first phase allowed snowmobiles on some streets in Schumacher, Gold Centre, Porcupine, South Porcupine, Mountjoy and Connaught for the 2018/19 season.
In the second phase, streets north and south of Algonquin Boulevard were added. The final phase is creating a city bylaw for snowmobile access to roads ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Some of the rules in the bylaw are:
- Snowmachines can't be operated on the roads identified from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- The maximum speed is 20 km/hr
- The driver must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver's licence or snowmobile licence
- An Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) trail permit is required
- It's effective when the trails are opened by the Timmins Snowmobile Club and ends when the trails are closed
- People breaking the bylaw who are found guilty of an offence is liable to pay a fine up to $1,000
Maps of the streets that can be accessed are included in the bylaw. You can view them here.
