KAWARTHA LAKES-The police services board voted on Wednesday to accept a donation of two ATV’s from the Kawartha ATV Association. (KATVA)
KATVA is a community-based ATV club in Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County and they are advocates for safe and responsible use of ATVs in Kawartha Lakes.
O.P.P. Uniformed police officers patrol the trails to ensure ATV operators are in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act. Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and the Off-Road Vehicle Act. They enforce provincial legislation, especially licensing and insurance, speed and careless operation. By-Law Enforcement Officers of the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP Save Team who ensure various municipal by-laws also patrol the trails along with KATVA’s own Trail Patrol.
KATVA offered the donation in May but the police services board wanted to wait to see if council would vote in favour of a route link in the town of Lindsay for an Off-Road Vehicle Pilot Project. Council recently approved the link. The approved pilot connection route is as follows:
Logie Street Trail Head (South) to Thunder Bridge Trail Head (North)
1. North on Logie Street to King Street
2. King Street to Lindsay Street
3. Lindsay Street North to Wellington Street
4. Wellington Street to Victoria Avenue
5. Victoria Avenue to Elgin Street
6. Elgin Street to Angeline Street North
7. Angeline Street North to Thunder Bridge Road
8. Thunder Bridge Road to Trail Head
The pilot program will be implemented in Spring of 2022 to correlate with the operation period of the trail system, which runs May 1 to December 1. Staff will be working over the course of the next few months to ensure the appropriate measures are in place regarding safety and education prior to opening the connection route.
“I think it’s a very generous offer from KATVA and I think they are serious about trying to do this properly.” said Mayor Any Letham who is a member of the police services board. Â “This is a way of their contributing to enforcement. I would speak in favour of the donation.”
The donation comes with driver training as well and can be used for any police requirement not just trail related.
“Hopefully drivers are going to appreciate the privilege they’ve been given to ride through Lindsay and the people of Lindsay will appreciate that as well.”
