The Estevan Snowmobile Club recently received some good news and are excited to start planning. It was announced recently that the club was selected to host awarded the 2021 Provincial Snowmobile Festival, this event is scheduled for March 6 2021.

"It’s an annual snowmobile festival that is put on by the Saskatchewan snowmobiles Association for the various clubs to show off their trails," explained David Heier, President of the Estevan Snowmobile Club. "Our club for many years has decided not to participate because we tend to get no snow, and the festival will go on with or without snow. We have a party planned for the Friday and Saturday night, and there’ll be a trail ride on Saturday and, if you desire, on Sunday."

The Provincial Snowmobile Festival brings out many people from not only across the province. "Last year I saw someone from Sweden in Hudson Bay, I don’t know if that’ll happen with us, but usually, I think people come from the three prairie provinces and North Dakota. There were over 300 riders in Hutson bay last year. We’re flatlanders down here, we are not like the bush, but there’s beauty in the flatlands. We have 260 kilometres of trails that we take care of and hopefully, they’re all in pristine shape when we get to that time. If not you can either try trailer or ride through our trails up to the Moose Mountain and even Wayburn has trails attached to ours, so there are a lot of trails to ride and places to ride; also some of them are pretty scenic."

Although there have been a few years where the Estevan area hasn't had enough snow for snowmobiling, they are hoping for the best. The club has already begun to plan for the event even though it is over a year away. 

"I’m talking to a few hotels, and we have to make some block bookings, we have to book a venue, and the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association has given me a manual of the how to. We've put on a few pretty good shows already; we have a great group of volunteers in the club and over 24 people that really step up to the plate when we have events like this. I’m happy to be a part of that, and we have a lot of fun and get to raise some money as well. The event is estimated to make 30 to $40,000 for the local club, and we are working at of course keeping our trails up. We also have a fairly new groomer and are looking at getting a second groomer, also the potential of a clubhouse or a shop to store the groomers in because the elements really take their toll more so than operating them." The grooming of the trails can take up to 40 hours a week with about 45 operators who leapfrog each night with grooming done every week. 

 Heier also notes, "If anyone is interested, although it is a little early, we are looking for corporate sponsors, naming rights, sponsorship door prizes and volunteers."