Some of us in Michigan were looking int some riding in Ontario this year. I accessed an Ontario sled site and your trail system looks excellent. From what I understand, it is rated "best in the world", particularly because of all the money spent on creating and maintaining it. Then I saw the kicker. Do you guys really have a 35 MPH speed limit? http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif Is it strictly enforced? ???

Really, yes.

Is it enforced, not much. *As long as your in control, you won&#39;t have much of a problem. *I wouldn&#39;t let it stop you from coming to our country. *But you might want to wait for some snow. *Raining here in Southern Ontario right now.

FishHog

Yeah thats the only bad thing about our trails in canada the speed is 70 km/h but when you see a nice strech and nobody comming on the other you can let her rip but then back to 70.
This is a nice speed for touring and its safe for the unexprienced rider. Hope you enjoy your ride !

Yes, the speed limit is there, and yes it is enforced. *However, our great neighbors to the north and east are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. *I love to ride in Canada with my fellow riders. *Beautiful country,and beautiful people. *Have fun, and stay on the trails! *If you haven&#39;t done the Lake Superior snow challenge you should. *I do this every year, and like even more each year. *This ride is not for the meek though. *LOL.. Enjoy.

Here in newfoundland you will find some of the best trails and playgrounds in the world and the speed limits are not enforced hardly at all. *Right now we have a ton of snow and the trails are just starting to get really good.

Ive riden here all my life and ive never listen to that speed limit. *Ive been pulled over but it was just a spotcheck. *The police have seen me going faster too!!!!
they care about drunks and winos!!!!!!!
they check passes and insurance also.
i wouldn&#39;t worry about it

50 km/h in Ontario, I&#39;ve even seen signs for 20km/h! *I think a sled would blow up if you rode around all day at 50km!! *Can you imagine the amount of carbon that would build up!!! *Cops are out there & they do get sneaky but if you&#39;re in control you won&#39;t have any problem! *The cops don&#39;t even go that slow!

Got stopped two years ago on the Seguin rail bed where it crosses Hyw 518 just 3 miles from the Sprucedale hotel. Luckily we knew ahead of time that the OPP were there with radar guns. A *guy at Walkers gas station just got a speeding ticket and was really pissed off. I had warned some other sledders that they were waiting ahead. So we all took it cool *up the OPP check point. The guys I just warned forgot that they didnt have their plate stickers on their sleds. The OPP asked us what the speed limits were among other things just so they could sniff ours breaths. Needless to say both cruisers were filled with sledders who obviously didn&#39;t pass their scrutiny.

ihave heard of 2 horror stories about these ride programs,and spot check.
Apparently the cops are thinking more about being sneaky than safety.For instance.
a guy was travelling down a track bed in excess of the speed limit when he came into a turn the police had the trail blocked of ,he didnt have enough shut down time,so into the trees he went ,totalled his sled.he luckily was not injured.
second story:
a person was travelling up a long straight hill,cops were at the bottom on the other side,this startled him ,got nervous lost control,totalled the sled and broke his arm.
Now i have never had a problem with the police and my snowmobile in my area.
but then again who can believe every story you hear

I&#39;ve never even seen a cop on a sled here in Saskatchewan...and our trail speed limit is 80km/h (~40MPH)
The thing is that here in Saskatchewan....sometimes the difference between trail and field is the little ridge the groomer leaves behind on either side of the trail *:p (surprisingly though, most of our trails never see a farmer&#39;s field and are very scenic -- I don&#39;t want to discourage anyone from riding here!)

2 years ago, my wife and i went thru a S.T.O.P check point , just above northbay ont. the officers were very polite and courteous. after they checked are registration and insurance cards (we are from pennsylvania) one of the officers said, sit tight we are going to give you something.(until then the only they i ever got from a cop was a fine) he came back from his sled, and gave each of us a keychain,wallet for license&reg. and a pin that said, OFSC snowmobiling into the new millenium. i was impressed, we were back last year, and have a trip planned *for the first week of feb. they do have the best snow on earth in my opinion.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Kipawa

50 km/h=31mph, thats slow!

In Quebec it&#39;s 70 kph (45mph) on trails and 90 kph (55 mph)on lakes. There were some requests to bring speed limit down by a certain group of people and some people wanted it faster. The FCMQ (quebec snowmobile federation) Assured that it would not get slower but for safety reasons, and because all trails are not highways, the limit wouldn&#39;t be set higher. IMO, this means that as long as you stay on your side of the trail and not driving recklessly, they won&#39;t give you a fine. I have ridden in straight 10 k&#39;s trails and crossed police at 130 kph and they waved at me (No, it wasn&#39;t to make me stop) And I was ridding in small twisty trails at 90 k&#39;s, they stopped me to check licence and congratulated me about my driving!, aparently, most people who were stopped were missing the turn where they were posted. Sledding is the most tolerant activity involving an engine aside from mowing the lawn and this is what I like about this sport.

Heard stories of them jumping out in front of sleds at night, dressed in their black suits! *Not a good idea!!

Was it a black vinyl cat suit(LOL)? Can&#39;t say i have ever had a problem with the ontario cops either. I have been through a few spot checks they always seem realy cool. Usually the cops look for the local bar hoppers or idiots. When ever i meet up with the cops on a trip there more interested in to hear what you have planned for a trip, like where you are from and where you are going. After shooting the @^#$ with them for 15 to 20 mins on the trail they tell you that just up ahead a mile or two there is a spot where you can really let her rip.

Also the way the speeding tickets works is that it is just a ticket set fee of(not sure how much never got one) wether you are going 50 or 100mph, and there is no loss of points. So it&#39;s like photo radar if you can afford to speed then speed if you can&#39;t maybe you should relax a little on the throttle.

I&#39;t has become very strict in my area of northern ontario, ( Timmins) During the Christmas holiday&#39;s our trails weren&#39;t even open and still in pretty ruff shape and our local police were out in full force. I was coming up to a 4 mile straight away, and gave the trottle a blip on my new renegade 800. I could see someone way in the distance so I backed off and coasted up to them, it was the cop&#39;s. They told me right away that they got me at 90 km/h on the gun, and the speed limit was 50 km/h, and that there was going to be zero talerance. So I get a nice 110 dollar fine. Which by the way is a set fine no matter how fast your clocked and no points on your licence. So I wouldn&#39;t incourage anyone to come up here to ride this year. Last year there were a few deaths on the trails, all happened at night and all were alcohol related. So the police set up in the middle of a long straight- away during the middle of the afternoon, and see how many guy&#39;s they can nail, exceeding our pathetic speed limit. I guess I alittle bitter :angry:

Keeny, that&#39;s sucks. *Where those "town" cops?

I ride in the Owen Sound area (120 miles northwest of Toronto) and I&#39;ve only seen OPP once and they were checking for drunks which is fine by me. *I don&#39;t know any rider that has actually got a speeding ticket from the OPP.

I was in Quebec a few years back and they ride sleds like they drive cars, fast and furious where speed limits are meer words.

So to an American or Out of Province riders, I don&#39;t believe speeding is an issue for you. *The OPP are out to get the drunks and the wahoos and will most likely give non Ontario driver license holders a bye.
http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

Here in Sask. Canada they are starting to crack down on speeding and drinking and riding. The first one i don&#39;t like to much but the drinking and riding has got to go. To many people getting hurt or worse. Cost me over $600 dollars to insure and plate my new cat and another $45 for trail permit. Thats so i can ride a stretch of ditch that they run a groomer down twice a year. Starting to cost to much money to ride.

$45 for a trail permit I wish. Here in Ont it is $140, and the %$#@*& trails are not even open yet. I guess there is nothing that can be done about that though. I hope they give out some coupons for gas or something next year because of the year this year. that happened two years ago when we had a bad year. :angry: *:angry:

I think in the next few years , it is going to get worse.
To many people getting killed or injured on trails.
Some alcohol related other for stupidity.
and yes a few accidents.
I live in a small town of 1000 peope and the town police have 2 sleds.
I got stopped last week for insurance, of which i left at home.
The cop gave me time to get it and take it to the cop shop.
I did and he just gave me a warning.

I would gladly pay $140 dollars to ride on the trail system in ontario. For me to ride anything like that here I have to drive three hours. In south Sask, they run a groomer down the ditch a couple times a year (ditches guys have been riding forever without having to pay) and they call it a trail. Even on the trail maps they have gas stops marked within city limits. Its a $500 dollar fine for operating a sled within city limits. Makes no sense to me. One of our club members has tried to get permission to run a trail around the city and to get a spot to drop and load. He tried for a few years and was denied. Now another club came through and just ran part of the trail without even asking permission. Go figure. Thats what happens when you try to do things the right way. Sometimes this sport can be frustrating when nobody wants to work together.

It&#39;s interesting to hear your comments on paying $140 for Ontario trails. *I bought early & paid $130-. *I would gladly pay $200- to have better grooming! *I realize the clubs do the best they can with the funding they have, but I&#39;d pay more if we got more in return. *Maybe this would be a good poll?

I am not complaining about the cost of trail pass. I am a bit pissed about the weather and have no trails period to ride on. I also would pay more if we got more out of it too. There are a lot of bare roads right through town that we have to drive on and thats what they call the trail. We were supposed to build a bridge but there was not enough funds. Meanwhile we have to use the vehicle bridge.

I agree that Canadians are about the most friendly and polite people you would want to meet. I used to run my trucks to Oshawa, Mississauga, Kitchener, Newcastle, etc. The workers at the union auto plants were pleasant and polite (unlike the rude, nasty, we&#39;ll get to you when we have nothing better to do, suck my #### jerks here in Michigan) and glad to help. The drivers on the expressways were unbelievable. I would put on my turn signal to change lanes and the cars next to me would actually slow down or change lanes to allow me to move. In the U.S., when a truck tries to change lanes, everyone tries to blast past him so as not to be inconvenienced for 30-45 seconds. I would love to do all my business and riding in Canada. Even the customs people are great. Plus you guys do one thing better than everyone else. You say "eh" like no other!! Ah, stereotypes. Just kidding!!! If the U.S. had more Canadians, it would be a better place to live.

please keep it to your self. but

ther is no speed limit in washington and I spent yestor day

playing in 12 inches *of new snow with a 5 foot base.

i am in ontario and i cant say that ive driven 35 anywhere.i have yet to see a radar trap but friends have seen them. depending on where you are riding and if it is on a weekend. more cops on the weekend. besides the cops here only have 500 touring sleds.lolol. they are actually more interested in trail permits, ownerships, insurance and drunks.go slow through towns and you will be ok. happy trails http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I don&#39;t think I have ever seen a radar trap. I have been stoped a few times to check for trail passes and ins. I also been through a few ride programs on my sled too. There are speed limits but I don&#39;t think too many people follow them. http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

My friend is a OPP officer and last year he got to do the best cop job (Snowmobile cop.) *They gave him a grandtouring 500 Chase sled.

He told me and i also know that the speed limits for ontairo (50km) where set when the sleds were a lot less stable driving at that speeds. *And of corse we dont have the money to switch it to 80. *

I am allways speeding. *I cruse at 80km and run most of the time at 120km. *I will hit 170 on the straits. *Im also carful and know this area like the back of my hand. *

Cops just dont care about speeding. *They only want the drunks and loud exhausts. *

THere just out there having a good time also most of the cops are nice. *

If by chance you meet an bad cop. the speeding fine is a set fine and its like $120.00 or somthing. *

But i have ridden in the ontairo area for many many years and no one ever rides the limits. *#### my machine will over heat doing 50 on groomed trails.



Last edited by Rocketman at Mar. 21, 2002, 8:46pm

Hmm here in North Eastern Alberta been snowmobling for years and have yet to see a groomed trail. Most of our trips are cross country and if you do not plan your trip right it could end up costing you...

Hmm here in North Eastern Alberta been snowmobling for years and have yet to see a groomed trail. Most of our trips are cross country and if you do not plan your trip right it could end up costing you...

Jan 29th thru Feb 2nd I will be in Elliot Lake Ont. with my group of guys. 1st trip to Ont. hope it is a good one!! Anyone know conditions around there?

Here in Manitoba we have no posted speed limits other than in towns, I think it is around 15-20mph. On the groomed trails its wfo, if you want.

Last weekend a friend on a Mxz goes around a corner leaned way over with one ski in the air, right in front of a OPP ride check. *

He must have been doing 80 in a 50. *The cop just gave him the slow gesture and my friend thought he was getting a ticket. *The cop just walked up to him and said. *"You can go just slow down." *

I came around the corner slow because i was feeling sick and just drove right by.

Trail conditions are up and down in ontario 800mxz.The long range forecast doesn&#39;t look to promising for next week either.But from what i&#39;ve heard is that some lake trails are staked and groomed in northern ontario.Try the ofsc web site for up to date trail conditions,just click on the trails and the report by district tab.It&#39;s www.ofsc.on.ca and hope thats helps ya.

I was on the Paudash trail (E108) coming back from Pencil Lake between Christmas & New Years. just before the junction of the West Road & Hadlington Road, I had to slow down to cross thru some water over the trail. I had to go another 50 yards and there was the OPP with the radar. No tickee.

Apsley doesn&#39;t have a detachment anymore, the OPP are out of Apsley. One of the constables is a former warden. I think if you&#39;re playing by the rules, he&#39;ll treat you fine. Check my post about the Blue fog lights.

Yeah and the 50 Km/h spped limit does suck.

I thought our speed limit was bad! *Ours is 50 mph. *I usually ride around 70 mph. *I have yet to meet a game warden in all my years of snowmobiling!

I have ran into a few "robo-cop" wannabe game wardens in MN that WILL ticket you for going 51 mph in a 50 no matter what the conditions, or if it is a 20 mile straight away! http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

I know the Conservation Officers (game wardens) in Ontario have a lot of enforcement powers but they are stretched so thin across the province, I think they&#39;ve got better things to do than worry about sledders. Mind you if they were out on patrol and came across some guys sitting there having a beer, that would be a different story. Ypu&#39;d have to be doing something really stupid to draw their attention.

Hey ZERT800, our province is awesome, lol. I just love riding around here. to the bar all the time, there isn&#39;t any trails where I live so, it doesn&#39;t matter. I got lots of snow here now to, usually this time of year our skating rink is closed(outdoor rink) but it is still goin great. Once there was a Poker Derby around here and a cop came there and was just there to see if anything was happening, no one around here is registered so she said she knew lots of use weren&#39;t registered and didn&#39;t care right now but in a few years they wanted to punch down on it. She was just telling people not to drink on the trail. They are very rarely around here, pretty much just want people to wear a helmet, drive safe and not drunk.