CCSO Significant Historical Events

 

2015

• CCSO Executive Director, Dennis Burns, honoured with the George A. Einsenhuth Award at the Iron Dog celebrations at the International Snowmobile Congress in Niagara Falls, New York for his contributions to organized snowmobiling.

2014

• National Trails Coalition receives $10M in federal funding for trails infrastructure improvements, resulting in 260 projects totalling $36M across Canada with $3.2M invested in snowmobile trails.
• CCSO partners with the snowmobile manufacturers (Arctic Cat, BRP, Polaris and Yamaha) to manage and market the Spring Sneak Peek events across Canada.

2013

• CCSO Excellence Award Winner Club of the Year, Gravenhurst Snowcrest Riders (Ontario), inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Club of the Year category.

2012

• CCSO Excellence Award Winner Club of the Year, Osgoode Carleton Snowmobile Trail Club (Ontario), inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Club of the Year category.
• CCSO Director Chris Brewer and the CCSO 2008 Excellence Award Winner for Snowmobiler of the Year, Jeannie Brewer, inducted into the ISHOF Volunteer category.
• CCSO awards fourteen (14) prestigious Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals to volunteers in many categories of  leadership in their home province or territory and for national and/or international accomplishments.

2010

• CCSO participates in National Trails Roundtable workshop in Banff Alberta hosted by Trans Canada Trails and Parks Canada that brought trail leaders from across Canada together to promote a more cohesive trails community across Canada and identify opportunities for greater collaboration (summary report available on the ERC).
• National Trails Coalition releases comprehensive “Canadian Trails Study” that identifies over 269,000 kilometers in managed trails across Canada (available on the ERC) with snowmobile trails representing over 49% of the total managed trails.

2009

• National Trails Coalition receives $25M in federal government funding for infrastructure improvements, resulting in completion of 474 projects and investment of $56.5M in national trail projects with $8.8M invested in snowmobile trails across Canada.
  

2007

• CCSO partners with the Canadian Trails Federation (CTF) and COHV (Canadian Off Highway Vehicles) Distributors Council to create the National Trails Coalition (NTC), a national not for profit organization representing all trail managers and trail operators from coast to coast with a goal of  promoting national co-operative trail development and improvements.
• CCSO introduces the “Electronic Resource Centre” (ERC), a comprehensive central information database for members providing access to studies on various topics from economic to environment to wildlife research documents as well as providing an archive for corporate documents.

2006

• CCSO, Snowmobiler TV and SnowGoer Canada Magazine partner in support of a national snowmobile communications strategy.

2004

• CCSO Past President, Don Lumley, inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall Of Fame (ISHOF)  in the Volunteer/Club Organizer category.

2003

• CCSO and ISMA partner with Robert Van Nood  for major poster campaign to promote key snowmobiling messaging related to safety and the environment.

2002

• CCSO launches the National Environment Campaign (NEC), an ambitious national educational initiative to inform the general public and reinforce good stewardship behaviour that included a major spread in Readers’ Digest magazine and coverage on the Weather Network.
• CCSO partners with the Canadian Tourism Commission to complete a National Snowmobile Tourism Study (available on the ERC).
• CCSO introduces and distributes over 8,000 copies of the Trans-Canadian Snowmobile Trail Guide.

2001

• CCSO launches national awareness campaign to alert federal members of Parliament of concerns related to the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the potential negative impacts on recreational activities in Canada.

1998

• CCSO hosts “Power Streak Rendez-Vous 98”, the first organized cross- Canada snowmobile ride, from Newfoundland to British Columbia with over 40 riders participating over 45 days.
• CCSO establishes the Trans-Canadian Snowmobile Trail, the first coast to coast recreational trail with an independent route linking snow-belt communities across the country.
• CCSO takes national lead on the Species at Risk Act (SARA), attending public sessions to voice concerns on the effect of the legislation on recreational activities in Canada.

1996

• CCSO Past President, Ross Edmonstone, inducted into the International Snowmobile Hall Of Fame (ISHOF)  Volunteer/Club Organizer category.
• CCSO hires first full time Executive Director, Marc Lacroix, operating out of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club offices.
• CCSO develops and markets “Sno-Pro”, the first computer based safety  training program.
• CCSO partners with ISMA to develop the “Safe Rider” program with a goal of having safety as a “top of mind awareness” for all snowmobilers.

1995

• ISMA partners with CCSO to provide a matching funds program to $100,000 annually.

1994

• International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) organization launched to represent the four snowmobile manufacturers (Arctic Cat, BRP, Polaris and Yamaha).

1993

• CCSO organizes “Rendez-Vous 93” trans-provincial ride from Bancroft, Ontario through Quebec to Fredericton, New Brunswick.

1991

• CCSO organizes “Rendez-Vous 91” trans-provincial ride from Orillia, Ontario to Gatineau, Quebec.

1974

• Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations is incorporated.

1973

• Six founding members: British Columbia Snowmobile Federation, Alberta Snowmobile Association,  Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs , Fédération des Clubs de Motoneigistes du Québec and the Snowmobilers Association of Nova Scotia meet to discuss formation of a national organization.