Here we go again. At least once every ski season some semi-evolved quad jockey feels the need to trespass on Finlayson Island and destroy the ski trails.
This was the scene that greeted one enthusiastic skier Sunday. What a letdown. You squeeze an outing into your hectic schedule to enjoy some fresh air and exercise while communing with nature in a relaxing environment.
Instead your outing turns to one filled with anger and disgust.
Unlike the niggling annoyance skiers feel when they see hikers have tromped on the classic trails in spite of having several metres of groomed freestyle lanes to walk on, quad insanity is difficult to put aside.
Quads are forbidden on the island, so why does this happen? It happens because quad jockeys have the innate sense they are not governed by any rules. It seems they might be right.
I used to call the police every time I saw quads go down the lane beside Eiling Kramer campground and cruise across the flats, on their way to cause further destruction of the North Saskatchewan River valley. I don’t bother anymore. Those calls were acted on at one time, but no more. Too many other, more important crimes to deal with no doubt.
But quad damage is a crime. In the case of the ski trails, it costs the City of North Battleford man hours, fuel, equipment upkeep and other costs to groom the trails. After the quad jockeys have had their fun, that has to be redone. More taxpayers’ money being wasted on repairing senseless vandalism.
How about an outright ban on the manufacture and sale of quads? Perhaps we could lobby President Trump to pass an executive order. I expect many are manufactured in the United States.
