The North Bay Snowmobile Club is urging enthusiasts and residents to support some of the local businesses that are suffering due to snowmobile trails being closed by the mild weather.
Trails in the North Bay area opened for just over a week in January before mild conditions deteriorated area trails and they were closed.
"We are again asking for North Bay Snowmobile Club riders to help out with our local supporters to ensure we have access to these small businesses in the years to come," the club stated on social media on the weekend.
"With direct driving access from Hwy 11 N you can stop by for lunch/dinner or even for a quick fuel stop to help them this season. Mother Nature has not been kind to our sport but we can definitely help in this way."
Of course, North Bay isn't the only area where the snowmobile industry is getting hit hard.
Shawn Flindall, communications director with the North Bay Snowmobile Club estimates that snowmobiling drives 3 to 4 billion dollars of economic impact across Ontario every year.
He feels the weather has become a bummer for sledders but the bigger story is the economic impact.
"Northern Ontario is peppered with businesses that do not just hope for snowmobiling to contribute to the year, but they actually rely on snowmobiling to make their year," said Flindall.
"So when snowmobilers are not filling seats at restaurants, and filling those rooms at hotels, motels and lodges along with filling space at the dealerships buying new sleds to getting parts and repairs done. It has a huge economic impact."
Flindall says businesses like the Portage and the Tomiko Restaurant up Highway 11 N truly rely on snowmobiling in the winter.
A few places that rely on snowmobile business have gone to social media to try and get a boost to their business.
Martin River Escapes, which is located along Highway 11 North described this year similar to 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to trail shutdowns.
"It sure feels like a repeat of 2021 although it's Mother Nature shutting the trails down and not the chief medical officer this time around," the business stated on social media.
See: Snowmobile enthusiasts want discussion about reopening trails
The business just finished installing a new fuel dispenser and got their restaurant stocked up in anticipation of trails being open in February.
"The weather is not looking too promising to have even some sort of semblance of a snowmobile season this year," they added.
"Even so, if you're driving by on your way to or back from a trip further north, stop in for some fuel or food."
Further North, The Tomiko is feeling the pinch too.
"As we navigate the challenges of the upcoming weeks, we find ourselves in a position where we must reach out to you, our wonderful supporters, for assistance," The Tomiko stated on social media.
"The snowmobile season, upon which many small businesses in our area rely, is facing unprecedented delays, to the point where cancellation looms as a real possibility."
However, Flindall and all those snowmobile-related businesses are not giving up hope yet that a late spell of cold and snow may help salvage what's left of the snowmobile season even though they realize time is starting to run out.
