HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-01-12, Page 13Serving over 25,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, Harriston, Brussels, Atwood, MonkIon. Millbank; Newton, Clifford, Wallenstein, Drayton. Moorefield and Arthur . Wednesday, January 1 2, 1983
Sn�wrno...:'iIihg has evolved into
respected winter sport
by Margaret Arbuckle
What could be more exhilarating than
zipping across a moonlit trail on a cold,
clear night? Nothing in this world, ac-
cording to snowmdbile enthusiasts.
As a sport, snowmobiling is really in its
prime, with the first machines introduced
in, or around, 1965. But it has come a long
way from a few people on those early
snorting and smoking machines to the
'organized and respected snowmobile clubs
of today.
Lloyd Benninger, president of the
Wingham and District Snowmobile Associ-
ation Incorporated, and Carl Martin,
another club executive member, are two
men who have followed the progression of
the sport, right from its inception.
The first time Mr. Benninger ever rode a
snowmobile was in Mildmay in 1966 and he
hated it; it was too cold! But, after another
couple of rides, he was sold and purchased,
his first machine that year. He has stucky
snowmobiles ever since and in fact, in 1969
when he was recuperating from a serious
automobile accident, the exercise he got
from snowmobiling helped to heal his in-
jured leg, he swears.
For Mr. Martin, it was love at first sight,
more or less. After his first ride in Tiverton,
he decided, "This is for me!" and bought his
first machine in 1966 also. Today he has one
word which describes his feeling about
snowmobiling: relaxation.
Those old machines were primitive
compared to the ones on the market today.
"You would ride for one hour and fix it for
two," according to Mr. Benninger, but the
first machines were the "guinea pigs" for
the sophisticated models available now.
Snowmobilers were of a different breed
then too. They were looked at the same way
bikers are today: rough, wild characters.
who made a lot of noise out roaring around
the countryside.
That view was not totally unfounded,
because there was a lot of fence -cutting and
people riding the roads and streets. Also
there were many accidents, a few resulting
in fatalities, mostly from people riding busy
sideroads and highways.
CLUBS FORMED
Thus snowmobile clubs were formed to
create better relations between
snowmobilers, landowners and the general
public. The Ontario Federation of
Snowmobile Clubs was founded in 1967 and
incorporated.. in 1972. The local club was
founded in 1974.
Most people regard snowmobile clubs as
respectable groups, said Mr., Martin.
Although there is still some fence -cutting, it
is usually done by city residents who spend
the weekends in the country and do not have
the same regard for property as local club
members.
The Wingham association boasts a
membership of almost 200 family members,
compared to its original membership of 35.
One of the biggest roles played by the club
is the supervision and maintenance of
snowmobile trails in the area.
The greatest factor in the reduction of
snowmobile accidents and deaths is the
institution of the trail system, because it has
kept snowmobilers off the highways and on
designated trails.
The Ministry of Natural Resources used to
provide funds for snowmobile trails, but
government spending cutbacks have caused
those monies to go the way of the dodo,
which is something which concerns Mr.
Benninger because with public trails
replaced by .private ones, more people
might take to the highways again.
Today the clubs depend upon membership
fees to keep the trails up and they are very
careful about policing those trails. In order
to set up a trail, the assocation must get the
permission of the landowner first. Most
trails are 12 feet wide and snowmobilers
must stay within its boundaries. Just to be
on the safe side, the club has $2,000,000 in
liability insurance to protect its members
and the involved landowners, said Mr.
Benninger.
Trespassers on these private trails are
treated, harshly and can be charged and
fined up to $1,000.
Not only do trails cut down on the number
of snow. nobile accidents, they also provide
sanctuary for wildlife because they allow
animals to move more easily since they are
packed by the machines. There is nothing
more beautiful. -than riding through the
Greenock Swamp near -Teeswater and
stopping to look at the deer along the sides of
the trail, said Mr. Benninger.
TRAINING COURSE
The provincial federation offers a training
course for young people up to the age of 18.
Both Mr. Benninger and Mr. Martin said
young snowmobilers are encouraged to take
the course because it promotes competition
and teaches snowmobile maintenance and
survival techniques.
Since the course was instituted, there has
been a marked reduction in the number of
accidents among young people because it
teaches "" them to be more cautious and
conscientious.
Snowmobile clubs provide an invaluable
service in inclement weather, which was
evident last winter during the worst
January storms.
a
LLOYD BENNINGER, president
of the Wingham and District
Snowmobile Association Inc., is a
lover of outdoor fun. But there is
a serious side to snowmobiiing
too, which was demonstrated
during last winter's major storms.
Club members were on call at all
times and responded to cries of
help for necessary drugs and
even drove 30 miles in a blizzard
to get a snowplow part.
•
"We will go out anytime," said Mr.
Benninger, "and are on call all the time."
And go out they did, from taking nurses to
and from the hospital and nursing home, to
distributing necessary drugs, to even going
30 miles for a snowplow part.
The association also participates in the
annual "Timmy Run" for crippled children.
It sponsors races, dances and every second
Sunday has been designated as "Family
Day", a time for families to get together for
snowmobiling fun.
DEALER'S VIEW
Lynn Hoy of Wingham has noted the
development of snowmobiling from the
standpoint of a dealer and as a participant
too.
Mr. Hoy said snowmobiles started to
become popular in this area around 1968 and
he became active selling them a year later
in 1969. Those first single -cylinder machines
averaged in cost from $750 to $1,000. Today,
snowmobiles start at around $1,700 and can
cost up to $6,000 for the top-of-the-line
models.
There has been a definite progression in
the sport, said Mr. Hoy, from the small
early machines to the exclusive • models
available today. Several years ago there
was a trend toward big, fast machines,
loaded with all the extras, but some people
are returning to the smailer..snowmobiles
now, he noted.
Today's machines are much improved
and more reliable than their early coun-
terparts with slider systems for smoother
rides and oil injection for easy starting.
There has been a decline in sales over the
past few years, but Mr. Hoy blamed that
decline on weather conditions rather than
the poor economic situation, although that
has some effect too.
"What we need is a good, solid winter,"
said Mr. Hoy who added the past several
winters have been late -starting and mild,
which are not optimum conditions for
snowmobiling.
When' asked if there was anything he
would like to see done with the sport, he
suggested turning abandoned railway lines
into snowmobile and cross-country ski
trails. "It's all there," he said, and with a
little 'bit or work and cooperation the
railway lines would makegood trails
because they are already connected to all
the neighboring hamlets.
Bunnyview Rabbitry business keeps.Paul and VFretz hopping
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It maynot be one of the most common
. ._` ..,..,...„.„... �.'��"� ;•= r = ate ': _ - � Ry� : i; pe meat you see at your butcher's but
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a, rabbit is one of the most nutritional and
_� - y =,�° = �� ' R economical meatsyou mayever b
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;•, Low in calories, fat, cholestoral and
;•\''''.\--••\•.:-: ,; sodium, rabbit is higher in pl•otein than
�` `� \�� '> Nti,; chicken, beef or pork and is easily digested.,
,g Compared to a chicken, which is 50 per cent
meat, a rabbit is 85 per cent meat, yielding
�'.,`A more meat per pound for your money.
4'4'. The look and flavor is similar to chicken
but defined by a local rabbit farmer as "a
sweet meat, like partridge;"
Paul and Viola Fretz are the owners of
Bunnyview Rabbitry just outside of'Winter-
bourne and with 25 years in the business
have become noted for their expertise in
rabbit husbandry, University of Guelph
agricultural students consult them, begin-
ners in the field can not only get the in-
formation they need but the equipment and
Mr. Fretz was the founder of the Ontario
r`l' '' ' \ . .v�`\i�C�` �';�� ' a `1' . ;`�i '�.' Commercial Rabbit Growers Association.
`, �� Its ;,,`- •�_.\, a \ r , He also started a magazine in 1960 called
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d�m� ,l,h .�t ,r '`�.� - t'� ^ „Thumper" now called "Rabbits in
�,••ji; �,;' ,�:� 1 Canada' and run by another family.
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t The couple started Bunnyview in 1958 but
,; , , t \, ,��';\ • , t \ \fie' a :' • e S �:` had no idea then that the business would
.f 941% .',,'I., of ,`� \„ ' ,j,�,( •\ - p �!, `'�, a j �' ,
e P/1,0.;,i'l,: 1.1 ,o0, t 1 `, i � , 1,\ \ t� rd�� � �►1 9 �� grow as it did. Looking for a hobby, public
,, , ,1 ,• 1 , t �� �,. , ; ,�\ t ►` �r �'• school teacher Paul Fretz decided to return
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-� _: 1�,t' ` „`, ����Its to something he was interested in as a boy
•.— . ,'t �i v ':'• , on his father's farm in
-77,!!.....4„, "% c ,i,, e ;d�..:. �, , '''i / Selkirk - rabbits.
xc, , ,t • � e \V\ �,:,� � ' P, r i The youngfamilylived in Flor
,, , -.1 - �.1 ,�, et•� ra'' and adale then
-^4tr,;� �" , o ,,, ., 6'� .,during his spare time after school
.- . �, ,:... , ,\��\ e.... '•,� a, �.;4 -R �- hi- ' j`�;``'-� m e. ' ` ` `r� a . ' :,`� : . Y p4' , 1 d 3 urs, Mr. Fretz concentrated on educating
04. � him, about - _, - ,> ':r, , , a ects of raising rabbits.
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� - sp
�-- _ � ��... �.� � ., � , �► . i, began with two and a doe
a ,. t � bucks
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_�.. ually became a 300 doe operation, full
time
v�"oma. .: hired and move
_ �K�,--`�...;,'s� - ,-. :. � � - : - -;K , • .. �•�,e;: te-�_. ._ >:. -� ;� , ? �:�.; � . Winterbourne
ter t, .-::�:. *.� - ,a. r :�•., �•„ �, 1962 where Mr. Fretz built a three-
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..., lex. In 1979 they started selec
ve
breearng and no other rabbits are brought
into their barns.
Today they maintain about 100 does, hav-
ing scaled down- the operation because Mr.
Fretz feels strongly that school comes first
but he talks of increasing the operation
again when he retires. Viola Fretz runs the
major portion of the business today which
includes selling breeding stock as well as
feed, wire cages for carrying all types of
small animals and regularly cleaning the
rabbit barn.
They raise New' Zealand Whites, ';the
Hereford" of the rabbit business. White and
pink -eyed, the does have litters of six to
eight up to six.,times a year. Mr. Fretz says
it's a "myth" that rabbits are extremely
prolific. The commercial doe usually gives
up to 2'2 years of service. The babies are
born with alrh1ost no fur and their eyes
closed gaining about 12 pound a week. A
mature' rabbit ready for market weighs
about five pounds. Mr. Fretz says one rabbit
should provide two meals for a family of
five.
Before the days of government meat in-
spection, in'the early 1960s, the Fretz family
was part of the Kitchener -Waterloo Rabbit
Club's packaging club which met regularly
to butcher and package their rabbit meat. "1
used to butcher 100 rabbits a week." The
meat was sold to stores across the country.
Meat inspection. however. was not unwel-
come as Mr. Fretz says shoppers had more
confidence that the meat was of good
quality,
Besides raising rabbits for consumption, .
the Fretz family eats rabbit about once a
week. They also showed rabbits for 12 years
and raised laboratory animals for the Uni-
versity of Guelph for 20 years. Most -of these
animals were user, for cancer re'earch The
show rabbits earned the Fretz's several tro-
phies and awards.
Almost 98 per cent of the rabbit can be
used in some form. Rabbits sold for public
distribution are butchered in Milton at Sar-
gent Farms. The fur can be sent to a furrier
to be made into clothing, The Fretz's used to
sell clothes as well as meat. Then, of course,
there's always the lucky:rabbit's foot! Some
rabbits, such as the Angora, are raised ex-
cIusively for their fur Rabbit glue is used
also on all U.S. postage stamps.
Rabbit manure is considered potent and
best in the world• it is the only manure,
explains Mr. Fretz. that won't burn grass or
flowers. A sideline to the rabbit business
which Mr. Fretz used to be in was the rais-
ing of red worms in the rabbit manure. He
developed a market for compost worms and
fishermen also used them for trout fishing.
At one time they sold millions across the
country. in 1979. however, some acid worms
got into the pit and he is waiting to clean the
pits of the acid worms before he starts sell-
ing again.
Rabbits are easy to maintain. They are
vegetarians and as proved in the old country
during the war. rabbits bred on grass alone
can provide a good source of protein. Mr.
Fretz feels that rabbit meat is gaining in
popularity in this country
Rabbit meat can be cooked like chicken
and a full range of recipes is available in-
cluding stews, soups. slow cooking, casser-
oles, salads and even pizza.
For Mr. and Mrs Fretz. what began as a
hobby has proved its worth. not only finan-
cially but as a leisure time activity. Between
the rabbits. their five bee colonies from
which they extract their own honey and the
earthworms the couple has no question of
what to do in their spare lime