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With 2025 marking 35 years for the Sunset Trail Riders Snowmobile Club (STR), we thought it would be interesting to hear from three of our long-term members who have committed countless hours and energy over the years to making it one of Ontario’s premier trail networks.

Enjoy the read!!

1. What year did you join Sunset Trail Riders, and what inspired you to join the club? If you were a founding member, what was the main reason for establishing the club, and who worked with you in setting the foundation?

Gerry Rummery: I was one of the founding members of STR, along with a group of other snowmobile enthusiasts, where in 1989, at the PUFF Fire Hall in LacLu, the foundation for Sunset Trail Riders began. With such beautiful terrain and hundreds of miles to explore, we felt that a coordinated and structured snowmobile club would allow fellow enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy our region

Rick Vincent: I joined STR in 2000 after I retired. I just love riding, and felt it was important to contribute to the club. After 36 years of working, to just get out and ride the wilderness for its freedom and beauty was just a wonderful experience, which to this day, brings a smile to my face

Errol Lapworth: I joined the club in 1998 after I retired. A good friend of mine who I snowmobiled with, ask me to get involved, and the rest is history

2) Although we are part of the OFSC today, I understand the club originally was part of the Manitoba club network? If so, how did that happen and when did we transfer over the Ontario association?

Gerry Rummery: Yes, that is correct. We were originally aligned with Snoman, Manitoba’s snowmobile governing body that provided liability insurance for the club. In 1991, STR joined the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), which provided the club not only with liability insurance, but industrial grooming equipment as well. We do to this day however, have an over 50% representation of Manitobans as permit-holders for our region

3) Most people do not understand or are aware of the time commitment volunteers make to managing the trail network. How many hours would you spend (or have spent when more active in the club) on average preparing the trails for the riding season, both in the winter and summer? Of the volunteer hours, what takes the most time (staking, brushing, signing???)

Gerry Rummery: Boy, that is a tough question. It really is an all-year program. There is a core group of volunteers who will spend thousands of hours preparing the trails for the season, from removing fallen trees, fixing wash-outs, signing, staking, and overseeing the trails in-season so riders can enjoy our network. This starts with land-accessible trails and continues with trails only accessible via lakes. I would say the most daunting task is staking the trails on our lakes. With over 320 km of STR trails situated on lakes, installing over 4,000 reflective stakes is a humongous task. Don’t forget, for every stake installed on a lake trail, it has to be removed at the end of the season.

Errol Lapworth: I can’t imagine the hours I spent each year volunteering with the club, other than to say my original efforts were focused on the trail to Sioux Narrows. All I can really say is I spent countless hours putting up stakes, removing fallen trees, and getting ourselves unstuck from deep snow

Rick Vincent: I would not be too far off if I said I would spend nearly 40+ hours a week on the network. After 25 years of volunteering I feel our signage is at its best and takes the most work.Each year in fall we repair 40 – 80 signs at road crossings, either they are missing or damaged and sometimes we just improve how they look. The most frustrating thing is when our signs get shot at, the shots are so strong they bend our steel poles. After the trails are in then we have to mark all the ice roads that cross the trails. We guesstimate approximately there would be 60 ice road crossings on Lake of the Woods that have to have 2 stop ahead and 2 stop at each one. Before staking have to check the ice so it is safe for the sleds. Once the lakes are staked then we have to check the ice again(probably many times) to ensure it is safe for the groomers to groom our trails. Brushing and repairing/replacing signs are ongoing throughout the season.

4) Sunset Trail Riders has one of the largest trail networks in Ontario. What would you like to see in regards to opportunities to enhance the riding experience in our network and surrounding Lake of The Woods region? Are there opportunities within the City of Kenora to make the town a premier riding destination?

Gerry Rummery: Without question, having the town be more user friendly for snowmobilers, which would go a long way in boosting tourism in the Lake of The Woods region in the winter. Having ride access to lodging is imperative to enhancing the attractiveness of the STR network

Rick Vincent: Our upgrades to the shelters and the new shelter, making them more lady and family friendly appears to have had a positive result according to the comments in the visitor books at the shelters. I would like a shelter closer to town so it could be a short ride for young families to enjoy a ride and a hot dog made on the stove. Easier motel access from our trails would be wonderful.

5) You would have seen I’m sure many changes to equipment, regulations, climate, etc. over the years. What would you say has had the most impact to snowmobiling in LOTW’s?

Gerry Rummery: Certainly government assistance in the procurement of smaller groomers has been a tremendous help in allowing STR equipment to get on the lake trails earlier than the large commercial groomers. This helps provide an earlier start to the riding season, as well as helping make ice to support the weight of the commercial groomers. We are always at the mercy of mother nature, and the season seems to be becoming more condensed, meaning a more structured and organized volunteer group is necessary to prepare the trails for the riding season in a shortened period of time.

Rick Vincent: The most impact has been the demographic change – older riders, less volunteers as the younger people have a very busy life and the older volunteers are getting older

6) For those who have never explored the STR trail network, what would you tell them to convince them to come and see what we have to offer?

Gerry Rummery: STR’s trail system consists of six Warm Up Shelters, dispersed over nearly 560 km of marked trails. This trail system connects Kenora, West Hawk, Falcon, Reddit, Snook Lake, Vermilion Bay, Sioux Narrows, and all the way down to the Northwest Angle (USA) on Lake of the Woods. Many of these destinations have restaurants & fuel. With multiple trail loops throughout the system. You can take different trail combination’s when riding to most of your favorite destinations. Many of these trails contain beautiful large rock cuts (cliffs / bluffs) that protrude like miniature mountains throughout the landscape. Have you seen creeks & streams winding their way through snow covered riverbeds…..creating majestically breathtaking miniature waterfalls. STR’s trail system contains multiple locations to view these amazing wonders of mother nature.

Rick Vincent: Come and enjoy all the trail loops our system has to offer. Start at Kenora and ride for a week or two on our trails and not ride the same route twice. Riders can experience the beautiful bush trails, the outstanding lake trails and our 6 warm-up shelters to warm up, socialize and have a hot dog. The freedom and peace from riding our trail network makes you want to come back and experience it again and of course bring some friends along.