GFATV takes on caring for campgrounds
By Mona Mattei
The Grand Forks All Terrain Vehicle club (GFATV) are the new caretakers for recreation sites up the Granby river valley north of Grand Forks.
Under an agreement with B.C. Parks, the club will be responsible for maintaining all the sites located above 28 mile bridge including Blue Joint, St. Anne’s and Howe Creek. They will be doing the spring clean up, repairs as needed and even keep the outhouses stocked. The Blue Joint recreation site will be the main staging area for club trips and they intend to have an information kiosk located at the site as well as at 28 mile including trail maps.
“This lays the groundwork for future quading,” said Pat Zorn, a club member. “Our kids will have somewhere to ride if we help maintain the area.”
The agreement was announced at the GFATV play day held on Saturday, Oct. 20 above Grand Forks at the old motocross site. Thirty-three people came up to hear speakers, take a short safety course, and go for a ride along one of the trails on their new maps.
“I was really impressed by the club’s work,” said Alex Horkoff, one of the people who came to check out the club and quads. “I really appreciate the camaraderie and information that the club has put together and that’s what really attracted me to join.” Horkoff signed up as a member of the club that day.
The play day was one of the activities funded by a grant from the New Horizons funding program. The grant is assisting the group to map trails around the Boundary region, provide GPS information for them all, and produce a map book as well as information kiosks. For the event, everyone was welcome to come and explore an ATV, learn safe riding techniques, enjoy refreshments and take a ride.
Speakers for the event included Don Frew, West Kootenay representative on ATV BC, and Gordon Galloway an ATV club president for Elkford, and chief safety officer with ATV BC.
Prizes were drawn and winners were:
- David Davies – RHC Insurance emergency safety kit;
- Mark Coleman – $100 gift certificate for ATV insurance package from RHC Insurance;
- And Ray Johnson – $50 Clyde’s gift certificate.
The 18 quads took groups on a ride over the lookout near Lost Lake above Grand Forks and everyone warmed up with goodies and coffee from Mrs. B & B’s.
