Government to cash in on Revy tragedy.

[Polarblu]

Well then include rock climbers, quads, hikers, hunters, sky divers, horseback riders, ect. cant just single out one sport. Dont think it's right there are so many things that are risky.

If you read the rest of my posts on this thread you will see that your attitude is not helping anything.

What other sports do should not be a defining parameter to our actions.

Your whining makes us look bad.

We can be the "trail breakers" in finding a solution that makes the back country safer and keeps access open for our kids to enjoy. Let those other sports follow, or would you rather a rock climber tell you how to enjoy the snow?

 

[Scrambled]

Well heres another thought thats goin to get some rieled up,maybe out of province people should pay more like they do with fishing licences.Out of province riders tax dollars dont pay for SAR in B.C,in the border towns like Revy and Valmount most riders are from out of province so buy charging them a fee to help pay for SAR might not be a bad idea.I no Im goin to get blasted over this but hey is just a thought.As far a insurance goes if they make it afordable like other provinces Im in but I can tell you right now the money from that will not go to to improving saftey,trail managment or SAR,it will go straight into the pockets of the ceo's of ICBC and the goverments general revenue which to me is just another money grab.I agree with those that say we need to come up with a plan ourselfs to promote saftey and help found SAR,A mandatory avi certifacate is a good idea just policing it would be tuff.If they come up with rediculous rules its only goin to push people out of the club run areas into the more sucluded back country and make people not call SAR when really needed which Im sure will cost more lives in the end,do I have a answer to this no but I think we need to come up with one soon or we all will suffer.

 

[sledhead_2002]

I am fair. If you dont have the money for emergency equipment then you dont have money for emergencies. Mountain riding is expensive, stick to the trail systems and enjoy.

Agree

AND you can rent them for like 10 bucks a day

 

[Polarblu]

I agree but the chopper insurance at $30/day thing sounds like someone who rides the mountains occasionally or as a weekend warrior!

I ride the mountains 100+ days and like the initial statements says you need to pay to play. If I required a chopper, I would have no hesitation calling one and paying the bill whether it be for myself or my buddies. If the situation demands it that is the price one pays. I surely wouldn't be paying $30/day for insurance!

Dead sleds that are in a remote basin or wherever sometimes require a chopper and why should the tax payer absorb the cost. That is the cost of riding in the places that we do.

Unless big changes were to be made to the rescue situation in Canada the taxpayer pays the cost. That is the way we have been raised and the way the system works; whether you are a hunter, skier, boarder, hiker, trapper, pilot, or any other outdoor enthusiast. If you are in a highway accident in Northern Ontario, the Yukon, or any number of places and a chopper is dispatched, the taxpayer picks up the bill. You could break your leg on the rocks in Newfoundland and if the EMS couldn't get to you safely a chopper would be dispatched and the taxpayer would pay. Even the search and rescue of downed airplanes, missing boats, and a miriad of other situations requires big bucks.

It is expensive to run Canada and the manner in which we live, but the Olympics sure reminded me of my pride for this magnificent Canada!!

Would you be open to something like the SPOT service that uses an insurance company to pay for SAR and as you said sled retrieval? Pay a monthly/yearly fee to have the piece of mind that you have a "get out jail card".
I am in no means promoting SPOT but the idea i think is sound.

 

[Scrambled]

I forgot to mention that the avy billboard[like the forest fire ones]is a great idea,maybe us sledders could fund raise the money to cover the cost of them and place them threw out the popular riding areas,it would show we are takin safety into our own hands plus no one could say they didnt no what the conditions were before headin out.

 

[sledslut]

i forgot to mention that the avy billboard[like the forest fire ones]is a great idea,maybe us sledders could fund raise the money to cover the cost of them and place them threw out the popular riding areas,it would show we are takin safety into our own hands plus no one could say they didnt no what the conditions were before headin out.

i think that is an awesome idea. I think that this should be brought up to club members as the trail passes could iam sure help cover the costs of this. Its not an expensive think to do.

Plywood, paint and some and aarow. Doesnt seem like too much work for me.

 

[powderhoundbrr]

i think that is an awesome idea. I think that this should be brought up to club members as the trail passes could iam sure help cover the costs of this. Its not an expensive think to do.

Plywood, paint and some and aarow. Doesnt seem like too much work for me.

Yeah not a bad idea but avy conditions are almost always high or considerable in the alpine and usually one step below in the trees. So does not really help too muchto know if the avy danger is considerable or high.

Extreme yes, that would help to know for the average person but I would argue that when the danger level is that high - extreme the CAC does a pretty good job of telling people. Like last weekend for example.

But there is so much more to know about the snow pack than just the risk. Aspect, solar activity, overhead triggers, and elevation make a big difference as well. And making good terrain decisions. I was out in the Purcells on Monday and the snow was just ripe for a slide. Having the skill set to recognize this is so important. And then respecting your assessment and riding accordingly.

More education for sledders would help a lot. Not some lame day course that many sledders are taking now but perhaps a more in depth online course put out by the CAC that really teaches sledders some real snow science.

Regulations from the government is not going to change anything, there needs to be a change of attitude amongst the sledding community as a whole. But with the people I ride with I have seen some changes in the past couple of years with their decision making and I think we are heading int he right direction.

All regulations will generate will be a government money grab, unfortunately it is not going to stop these tragedies from occurring. And again the worst part is it is the actions of the few are making bad decisions that are impacting us all.

Perhaps as a group we should be chastising our peers when we see them doing something stupid.

 

[Mongrol]

DON'T WORRY, THE GOV'T WILL SAVE ME FROM MYSELF.If only they would put lots more tax & regulation in place, but please hurry in case I hurt myself.

 

[Caper11]

Ok I just skimmed this thread because I read in the paper that BC was going to set some new legslation or something.
So lemme get this straight and correct me if I'm wrong please, from what I understand BC possibly want's residents of BC to register and Insure their sleds ???? why I wonder!! how is this going to save a life in the mountains?, this to me sounds like a cash grab like the royalties here in AB.
But I do agree that there should be insurance on sleds and quads, I know the the rates are higher in BC than AB and the employment situation isn't as good as it once was in BC, but It is a motorized vehicule I carry 2 million on all of my vehicules because 1 mill won't go very far these days and especially is the other party doesn't have insurance.
So what does the BC gov stand to gain by this, it sure doesn't help the residents or the sledders.

 

[Riverjet]

I pay $229 a year for 2 sleds, liability, fire and theft. A small price to pay for peace of mind.
I agree an operators license doesn't mean a whole lot, but if the training/ course included avy training it would be well worth it.

What planet do we find this cheap insurance on and through who?

 

[Riverjet]

I agree with the avy training as the trained people are what stopped last weekend incident from being far worse.

I also agree with registration "fees" if the funds generated go to saftey related programs like SAR, Avy control etc.

Who cares if sledding is one of the least taxing on the SAR program, it would show that we as sledders are doing more than our far share to help make the backcountry safer and that just might make the media STFU

How do you know they were trained?
In BC registration for sleds is mandatory and the funds go to general revenue.

 

[Riverjet]

I don't understand this thinking, how can you say it doesn't do anything for safety but hinders it instead....

I'm all for licensing and insurance. It shouldn't be any different than having auto insurance and registration. What cracks me up is the whiners that can run out and buy a new sled worth $10,000 + or the more money than brains fool that spends 20 - 40,000 grand on a sled that is crying about a $100-300 a year insurance policy to protect themselves and others.

It's not the answer to save every life out there, but combined with proper survival equipment, proper training, reading and understanding the warnings whether it be CAC bulletins or what you physically see when sledding and a host of other factors including the not so ' common sense ' it reduces the risks invovled significantly. Everything we do has a risk factor and some are going to die.

Say what you want, but I'm guessing that if you think having insurance, registration and a license are hindering safety, your probably the same type of person who thinks drinking and driving or riding is OK, and probably think wearing a helmet isn't cool too!!!!!

I don't really think it is going to hinder safety, but I do think it will do nothing whatsoever to improve it in anyway. If you know how it possibly could please enlighten us.

 

[Riverjet]

Its about time BC sleds ,quads and dirt bikes got regestered and insuered. As a rider I have a concern about being injured by one of them and them having NO coverage. The rest of us need it why not BC. I know its an extra expense but come on, wouldn't you want the couverage if you ended up in the hospital from someone elses act. Just MY opinion.

If I end up in the hospital "because of someone elses act" my BC medical pays for it and I pay to have it.

 

[Polarblu]

If I end up in the hospital "because of someone elses act" my BC medical pays for it and I pay to have it.

Dosnt pay for the time to heal your broken bones so you can go back to work.

 

[Polarblu]

How do you know they were trained?
In BC registration for sleds is mandatory and the funds go to general revenue.

A little birdy told me........ or perhaps you would like to ask them? The Crazy Canadian has a website and would be more than happy to tune you in!
BC registration has never been enforced. Cops dont care. If you want insurance you register and pay tax on your purchase.

 

[retiredpop]

You know, someone up above pointed out checking out avy conditions. I'm not going to lie, I don't know where to look for that info. While it's nothing for me to google it, it's definitely not in the forefront of my mind.

I wonder how hard it would be to make a little weather/avy widget for people to put on websites or homepages? Would snow and mud be interested in little box/banner that has conditions that each user would set locally? Click a link and you can go to a map of the province to plan a trip? Might help with awareness if nothing else. I might look into this later.

For all you guys like Steve D you can sign up to have the bulletins sent to your email. That way you are always up to date. You can sign up here.

Subscribe to Email Bulletin : Bulletins : Canadian Avalanche Centre : avalanche.ca

 

[CR500R]

This is retarded to me. How is having a license and insurance going to make riding the back country any safer. If everyone on Boulder that day had a license and insurance the outcome would have been exactly the same. Another government tax grab would not have changed anything. You might enjoy giving your money to the government but I definately do not.

Some of you just don't see the big picture, it's not going to save your life, it's just a small part in protecting yourself. Should you crash into someone on the hill and severely injure them or the other way around and you get injured. It's more than just what happenned at Boulder, I agree that licensing ,insurance and registration aren't going to stop avalanches never said it would. Like someone else said, though it could of helped by putting sleds with peoples names, etc.

I don't really think it is going to hinder safety, but I do think it will do nothing whatsoever to improve it in anyway. If you know how it possibly could please enlighten us.

If you can't figure it out on your own, not much sense in trying to explain it to you...

What planet do we find this cheap insurance on and through who?

Get a Alberta phone book and start calling around, prices vary alot by company, and there's lotsa discounts for good customers. I've been with same company for 20 years with no claims.

Maybe prices in BC are retarded because there is no insurance and registration requirements, ever thought about that...

 

[Alberta Boy]

Some of you just don't see the big picture, it's not going to save your life, it's just a small part in protecting yourself. Should you crash into someone on the hill and severely injure them or the other way around and you get injured. It's more than just what happenned at Boulder, I agree that licensing ,insurance and registration aren't going to stop avalanches never said it would. Like someone else said, though it could of helped by putting sleds with peoples names, etc.


If you can't figure it out on your own, not much sense in trying to explain it to you...



Get a Alberta phone book and start calling around, prices vary alot by company, and there's lotsa discounts for good customers. I've been with same company for 20 years with no claims.

Maybe prices in BC are retarded because there is no insurance and registration requirements, ever thought about that...

WOW! Your responses surprise me every time... you are getting more and more belligerent with old age... Not the same guy that I met and started riding with 8 years ago! Where did the "old Dave" go... the guy who would approach people with respect and be the first person to take the time to help another out or take the time to explain something to someone with less experience in that area??? Dissapointed...

Not sure what has changed but the "old Dave" was a much better guy! It would be nice to see some of that guy!

Braden

 

[pano-dude]

I personally feel that if we have to start paying for rescues there will be more deaths caused by this than not.

Where do you draw the line? Have you ever been to the Mt 7 Pyschosis? The chopper is taking bikers off Mt 7 non stop. People have been seriously injured there. Let's not forget white water rafting...yearly there are people who die rafting...better ban it. Damn you B.C. for being so beautiful and full of enjoyment.

I myself am not happy about smokers burning up my tax dollars but the govt. seems fine with it. Can you imagine the dollars spent on that. The list is endless.

Proud and thankful to be Canadian.

Chris

Dude you are wrong in this statement, have you ever been to the race? I have raced it 5 times. Mt 7 pyshcosis ran for 10 years, over that time I believe there was one or 2 heli lifts. NOBODY EVERY DIED. The event was sanctioned, insured and properly run.

Mountianbikers have gone through this already, the government wanted to ban downhill biking form the backcountry 5 years ago. The forestry crews went in and cut down stunts, and trees to stop trail building. At this time the bikers said enough and lobbied the government with the arguement that biking is a main stream sport which brings in millions of dollars a year to the province.

The government now is on board with mountain bikers after 5 years of meetings, setting out trail criteria figuring out insurance and actually funds some aspects of trail building. The Ministry of Tourism( same one who controllers sled access) is now promoting BC as the best place in the world to come for a bike holiday.

Everyone continues to compare sledders to other sports which you can't, the biggest problem with sledders is they are coninually riding in closed areas.

The Revy incident just put things over the top.

 

[Riverjet]

Dosnt pay for the time to heal your broken bones so you can go back to work.

My employee benefits do. As does Unemployement Insurance Disability benefits.