The Sundre Fire Rescue Society will not be hosting the 26th annual ATV Poker Run.
“We’re not going to be able to do it anymore,” said fire Chief Marty Butts.
“I’m sad to say that after 25 years we’re going to call her quits.”
The annual fundraiser had been a popular event that grew substantially since it first started, but increasingly burdensome government bureaucracy has made more difficult accommodating volunteers who work to prepare the trail, he said.
The decision was not made lightly on a whim, as the event was something volunteers — who include but are not limited to the many members of the fire department — looked forward to, he said.
“A lot of us hate to see it go,” the chief said.
“The camaraderie of going out, camping and working on the trail system together. That’s something we’ll miss.”
After a humble start with fewer than 100 people 26 years ago, the poker run steadily grew to the point that as many as 500 people would turn out. Along the way, participants from across the province — and even some from B.C. and Saskatchewan — shared positive feedback and also offered plenty of pats on the back, which only further motivated volunteers, he said.
“It was a major event for us. Each year was very successful; we raised a ton of money.”
Those funds helped the fire department acquire a variety of outback rescue equipment ranging from a quad to low slope rescue gear as well as additional training for the firefighters, he said.
“We get a lot of calls out there and our budget couldn’t afford this kind of equipment.”
Without those tools, pulling people in distress to safety in the West Country could potentially take longer. Although alternatives for a new fundraiser will be explored — such as perhaps a snowmobile rally during the winter — the fire department will for the time being try to find room in its already limited budget for equipment purchases and upgrades once covered by the poker run, he said.
So while the decision to end the poker run was disappointing, jumping through all of the government’s hoops had become too difficult to continue. Adding to the disappointment is the impression that the event had been wreaking havoc on the land, he said.
“We’ve been doing it 25 years. If we were destroying the land, it would have been unusable to keep the event going.”
Volunteers have invested plenty of time and effort in maintaining the trail to keep it sustainable, including cleaning up garbage left by other users and building small bridges over creeks and streams to protect waterways, he said.
Despite the decision to end the poker run, the fire chief said efforts to maintain the trail for others to enjoy will for the time being continue.
“I would like to see my kids ride the trail like I have. It’s awesome to have that in our backyard, we’re so blessed. We live in a great area.”
Other groups have also found themselves struggling in the face of additional rules that seem to be eroding the enthusiasm of their members.
“It’s very challenging being a volunteer these days,” said Calvin Rakach, spokesman for the Bighorn Heritage ATV Society, who is also the project manager for the Clearwater Trails Initiative and the regional director for the Alberta Off-Highway Vehicles Association.
Rakach echoed Butt’s disappointment, and said he had last year managed to convince the fire chief to do one last poker run.
“They’d basically had enough.”
Numerous clubs have experienced similar difficulties, which stem from a variety of reasons such as an onerously time-consuming process to obtain a permit, he said, adding volunteers only have so many hours available.
Additionally, in light of a volunteer who died after being crushed under a felled tree in Kananaskis last year as well as another similar incident near Whitecourt, new rules have been put in place, he said.
“There has been a new level of safety requirements put on all volunteer groups that are going to be working out on any public land.”
Those include obtaining a permit from Alberta Environment and Parks as well as ensuring user groups have comprehensive safety manuals and meetings that are basically on par with oilfield safety regulations, he said, calling the rules roadblocks for volunteers.
However, the good news is that many clubs have been doing work on Crown land for decades, and already have in place many of those requirements. After all, no one wants an inexperienced volunteer operating a dangerous tool such as a chainsaw without some kind of certification. Additionally, many of the volunteers work professionally in the oilpatch and already take potentially fatal hazards seriously, he said.
“Everybody wants to make sure our volunteers are safe.”
Despite the obstacles and uncertainty, volunteers are still pitching in but lingering doubts do haunt their thoughts and erode their enthusiasm, he said.
Making matters worse is the looming question mark over whether the Alberta government will re-designate substantial portions of the Eastern Slopes as a provincial park, he said.
“People want to donate and help the volunteers, but the clubs aren’t even sure if they’ll be even allowed out next year.”
Since 2002, members of the Bighorn Heritage ATV Society have cumulatively invested at least $1.3 million in volunteer time as well as equipment, he said.
“People can camp out there for free and enjoy the labour of those volunteers.”
Also, not only is the cancellation of events like the poker run “a big loss for our area, economically” but the loss of volunteer stewards could herald the further degradation of trails they’ve spent so many years maintaining, he said.
