COLIN KERR
Staff Reporter
BARRY’S BAY – October 6th’s meeting of the Madawaska Valley Town Council (MVT) covered a number of widely different matters over the course of a long day.
The meeting began with a presentation on the Renfrew County ATV Club (RCATV) by its President, Teresa Hebb. Hebb was joined by the local Madawaska Valley ATV Club Director, Dan Finos.
Hebb discussed a number of updates since the club’s last meeting with MVT in 2017. She mentioned the doubling of the club’s membership in that time, to 977 members. She talked about the redesign of the trail system, and its emphasis on a heritage theme.
She added that over 38,000 ATV-riders visit the Renfrew County trails, and bring in more than $3 million to the local economy. As well, the only source of funding for the club comes from its trail passes: it receives no government funding. Hebb said that a full 85 percent of the money they raise goes to trail maintenance.
She wants to enter into a land use agreement with MVT. This would give them legal standing for maintaining the signage and trails along the rail bed, and provide the municipality with insurance coverage related to the trails.
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