The Salmon Arm Snow Blazers Snowmobile Club is under pressure to secure new members or risk shutting down their operations.
“This year we have had a lot of damages done to our parking lot as well as to our main chalet, which we are in the process of fixing up. The amount of damage done is in excess of $3,000 and this is something we can not afford to totally fix up this year,” says Don Mitchell, from the Salmon Arm Snow Blazers.
He says they depend on memberships and trail fees to pay for all expenses such as the groomer and insurance costs.
“If we can not get the money to operate this hill we will have to stop operating.”
The snowmobiling club operates out of Fly Hill, which is only a short drive from downtown Salmon Arm.
Fly Hills offers riders groomed trails and off- track riding.
The varied terrain at Fly Hills attracts all types of riders, and a low risk of avalanches is another draw says Mitchell.
The area also offers several warm-up shelters as well as a main chalet to meet up with friends and other riders, or just to take a break and warm up.
During the season he says the hill gets used all days of the week and sometimes has riders on it from 7 a.m. until midnight.
“Unfortunately 99 per cent of these riders do not contribute to keeping the hill in operation by buying memberships or trail fees, but they will be the first ones to complain when we do not groom or put firewood into the chalet,” he says.
One member on the board of directors passed away suddenly last season.
Mitchell stresses that there are minimal people left to operate the club and if they do not get more people coming out and willing to get involved, the Salmon Arm Snow Blazers will have no other option than to close the club, and then the mountain will not be maintained.
“The members involved now have been working hard for years to get extra people to help out – everyone wants to ride, but not help.”
The club will be holding a meeting at the Hideaway Pub on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.