Written By Jeffrey Reed
Although Middlesex County residents were anxious to trade in their winter boots for gardening gloves last month, a blast of winter reminiscent of traditional snow days was a welcomed visitor for local snowmobile enthusiasts. And while the white stuff didn’t last long, it did wet the appetite for those who love sledding through powder-covered trails and fields.
As a 60-something outdoor enthusiast, I recall snowmobiling with my high school buddies in late-November during the 1970s. But with snow days more the exception than the norm today, the sport of snowmobiling has been limited to a handful of days each winter – unless, of course, you vacation well north of Southwestern Ontario.
“The lack of snow over the past decade has really created a feeling of uncertainty amongst snowmobile enthusiasts in Southwestern Ontario,” said Dylan Clark, a powersports and turf sales specialist at Fulline Farm & Garden Equipment in Glencoe. Clark said it has been more than a decade since the typical snowmobiler has enjoyed a full winter of local riding.
In fact, not only have our milder winters curtailed snowmobiling, but also they have had a huge impact on our economy. According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, 38,600 snowmobiles were sold in Canada in 2024, which saw 555,000 machines registered from coast to coast. The sport generates $9.3 billion annually in this country. The average snowmobiler – 54 years old – spends $2,500 each year on snowmobile-related recreation – including apparel, equipment, accessories and vacations.
But winters without snow have greatly affected those numbers. Concurrently, investing in the snowmobiling community doesn’t come cheap. Manufacturers including Arctic Cat, BRP (Ski-Doo), Polaris and Yamaha offer models ranging in price from about $12,000 for smaller sport models to more powerful and versatile units priced at about $28,000.
No surprise, Clark said most snowmobile enthusiasts purchasing new units are those with more disposable income and who “grew up riding sleds and really developed the passion and sense of community from a young age.”
As a farm owner near Strathroy, I was able to count on one hand the number of snowmobilers in my neighbourhood during the past six years. But in February, a day didn’t go by without a snowmobiler sledding by my home.
Clark said during the past few years, local enthusiasts had to drive as far as Quebec in order to ride their snowmobiles. He said for the average consumer, “this made owning or purchasing a snowmobile a risky venture, and that greatly affected sled sales in our area. Paired with a falling economy and an influx of used sleds on the market due to people trying to get out of the hobby – thanks again to that uncertainty – the snowmobile market is a slippery slope for most dealers.”
Nevertheless, seeing so much snowmobiling activity in February brought back some great memories from the 1970s. We are a hockey nation, but snowmobiling is true Canadiana.
Award-winning writer
Jeffrey Reed has covered Middlesex County sports since 1980. He is publisher and editor of LondonOntarioSports.com. Reach him at
jeff@londonontariosports.com.
