Inside this issue: President’s Message Wayne Groom Modifications Legal or Not Legal? Rick Duval Winter Ice Safety Chris Carroll President’s Message The FORD Empire ongratulations to all! We had our Len Bink C most successful AGM (Annual General Meeting) ever in November. UFWDA We had a record number in John Carroll attendance. The number of Board of Director positions has been increased Club News Reports to 8 and it is my pleasure to welcome Trish Groom, Reg. Green, John Reg Green and Rick Duval to the Farley, Al Graham Board. I would also like to thank John Carroll for his contribution to the BOD over the first years of Northern Lights and know that we can count on him for his continued support. We now Disclaimer: This newsletter is published by Northern have 11 member clubs and 5 of them Lights 4x4 Trailriders Association, PO Box 14, are represented at the Board level. It Ingersoll, Ontario, N5C 3K1. The comments and opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors is this type of diversification that will and do not necessarily reflect those of the Association, ensure the future success of the Directors of the Association, or the Sponsors. You Northern Lights 4x4 Trailriders can contact us at the address given or call Association. 416-444-8231 and leave us a message, we’ll get back to you. Or send us an e-mail at Unfortunately at the time of this [email protected]. Letters to the editor and writing, we have not yet had the submissions for the newsletter may be edited for Board meeting to decide on officer context and space allotment. Published quarterly. positions. We were forced to cancel our scheduled meeting due to bad weather. I would like to welcome the Chatham United Jeep Owners Club to NL4x4 and congratulate them on their recent formation. They are a strong club growing steadily in number and are well involved within their community in Christmas parades, food drives, charity events and of course, four wheeling. I would also like to welcome our newest member club, the Land Rover Adventure Association. Two will get passed around to those who In researching this project for NL4x4, representatives of this club attended do not have the facility to download it I called the Ministry of Transportation our AGM and the club joined before off the net. While we would like to and spoke to their head enforcement the meeting began. I would like to provide each member club with Engineer. I was told that there are no congratulate them on their recent enough copies of the newsletter for specific restrictions on modifications successful fund-raising four wheel each and every member in their as long as they don’t make the drive event at Jungle Cat World. clubs it simply is not within our fiscal vehicle “unsafe” according to the resources to do this. I would certainly statutes. They are currently The interest in Northern Lights hope that when there is information considering whether there is a need continues to grow. We have recently about such important issues as to make laws governing been in touch with two more clubs Ontario’s Living Legacy, people who modifications, as some states have who are very interested in joining. are online would print off hard copy recently done in the US. However, at Hopefully this will mature into more to pass around to friends or fellow this time they don’t have a specific good news for the next newsletter. club members. Everyone should be policy on lifted/modified vehicles. kept in the know and that is Bill 101 has reared it’s ugly head everyone’s responsibility. To the The bottom line with most of the again. We have heard stories that it club newsletter editors, please feel Highway Traffic Act as it applies to is the intent of the latest rendition of free to include this information in modified 4x4’s is this: If a Police this piece of legislation to disallow full your newsletters. Officer or Ministry Officer believes size 4x4’s on public trails. We have I would also like to take this that your vehicle “is not in again scoured the Bill as it is posted opportunity to wish everyone a happy compliance” he/she can give you a on the Government of Ontario web and safe holiday season. notice to take it in for testing within 96 site and have found no evidence of Some of the best four wheeling to hours to the Ministry testing facility this. We are making further inquiries come will be in 2001. designated on the notice. If the within the government and will keep Officer believes it is dangerous, they all member clubs posted. Wayne Groom can take your plates right there and President NL4x4 then, on the roadside, and keep them It will not be long after the New Year until your vehicle is proved to be safe when the public comment period for and/or repaired. It’s a lot of hassles the Kawartha Highlands area of the for them and a lot of paperwork. If Ontario’s Living Legacy project will you are nice, and polite to them they come to an end (February 28th, will probably just give you a warning. 2001). By the time you read this we If we keep our modifications sensible will have information about how YOU and our vehicles well maintained, can make your voice heard and your perhaps we can keep them from concerns known posted on our taking the time to legislate specific website. PLEASE take the time to restrictions on our vehicles. If you speak out! These are your trails and I have any question/ comments/ suspect that the outcome of this, corrections please feel free to e mail being the first “signature site”, will be Modifications- Legal me at [email protected] the model for other areas of the or not Legal? Province. So even if you don’t wheel Rick Duval in Bobcaygeon this could ultimately A number of clubs and individuals affect your favorite spot. have asked for our help in clearing Director NL4x4 up exactly what modifications are We rely an awful lot on the internet to legal and illegal. I have done some Editors note* Rick’s Plain English get our message out to the research and have compiled a Plain Version of Sections 6 of the Highway membership. The reason for this is English Version of the most relevant Traffic Act is available on the NL4x4 not just convenience but cost. A very statute sections. It is important to web page. Due to space constraints I valid point was made at the AGM; remember that this basically covers have not reproduced this in this there are a lot of people who are not section 6 of the Highway Traffic Act newsletter. Please refer to the NL4x4 “on-line”. This is the reason that we and that there are many more web site. If you do not have web send out copies of the newsletter to sections of the act covering a wide access and would like a copy of member clubs in the hope that they variety of concerns. Rick’s Plain English Version/interpretation of Section 6 of the Highway Traffic Act, please skating parties/games it’s 20cm and you warm, especially if they are wool. contact me at: 519-425-1505 or by for snowmobiling it’s 25cm. Cover up with a blanket, especially mail at NL4x4, PO Box 14, Ingersoll, So you’re out there shoveling off the your head. Warm non-alcoholic Ont., N5C 3K1 and I’ll send you a snow to make a rink for your kids to non-caffeinated beverages will make copy or ask a buddy with web access play hockey on suddenly you hear a you more comfortable and help keep to download it for you. loud CRACK and you fall through the you warm. Get inside or get out of Brenda Hackett - Editor ice. What should you do? Call for the wind and if safe and appropriate help and resist the urge to climb back start a fire to get warm. If you are out where you fell in as this is the alone try to attract attention to weakest point. Use the air trapped in yourself for help, do not leave if you your clothing to get into a floating are alone or unsure of the area. position on your stomach. Reach Recognize that it takes time to warm forward onto the broken ice without up and allow your body time to pushing down and kick your legs to recover, don’t exert energy until your push your torso onto the ice. When body is completely warm. Get Winter Ice Safety you are back on the ice, crawl on medical assistance as soon as your stomach or roll away from the possible. As we are preparing for the open area with your arms and legs onslaught of outdoor winter sports, it spread out as far as possible to What happens to your body while you is vital to remember that going evenly distribute your weight. Do not are in cold water? Your skin and through thin ice can quickly change a stand up! Look for shore and make blood temperature in your arms and fun family or club outing into a sure you are going in the right legs drops quickly and you will start disaster even resulting in fatality. By direction. Get help immediately as shivering. As hypothermia sets in you knowing the locality where you are hypothermia sets in very quickly.