ATV riders to get dedicated trail on P.E.I. — but not for free

Drivers of all-terrain vehicles in P.E.I. will soon have to pay a registration fee, but the funds will help build and maintain a trail running from one end of the Island to the other.

An amendment to the Off-Highway Vehicle Act was among the bills that were rubber-stamped on the final day of the P.E.I. Legislature's spring sitting on Tuesday.

It requires ATV owners to pay a $50 annual registration fee if they intend to use the vehicle off their own private property.

"If a farmer has an ATV, for example, that he uses just on his property, there's not going to be a requirement for that to be registered, plated on an annual basis," said Ernie Hudson, P.E.I.'s minister of transportation and infrastructure.

"It's going to enable a flow of funds … to the ATV federation itself."

Each year, the P.E.I. ATV Federation and local clubs will receive 80 per cent of the registration fees, or $70,000, whichever is higher.

The format is similar to how the P.E.I. Snowmobile Association operates, Hudson said. But instead of machines using the Confederation Trail, the province and the ATV federation will work together to build a trail across P.E.I.

The plan alone will cost $100,000.

P.E.I. Transportation Minister Ernie Hudson expects a new trail dedicated to ATV riders will attract tourists to the province. (Rick Gibbs/CBC)

Licence plates will stay with all-terrain vehicles when they're sold or transferred in the province. Fines for non-compliance with the registration fee will range from $200 to $2,000, depending on the offence. And ATVs will continue to be banned from Island highways.

Hudson expects the new trail will attract tourists who are also ATV enthusiasts.

"If we have a dedicated trail exclusively for ATV owners, users, are we going to see an increase of ones coming to the Island to make use of this trail? I would say absolutely yes."

Peter Mellish, executive director of the P.E.I. ATV Federation, said the move is a "big win" for a non-profit that's trying to develop a sustainable funding model.

"It's basically an infrastructure investment fund for the communities that we have trails in on P.E.I.," he said. "You can't build trails selling hot dogs and french fries. It takes money... There just isn't enough volunteer power."

Peter Mellish, executive director of the P.E.I. ATV Federation, says revenue from the registration fees is a 'big win' for the non-profit. (Tony Davis/CBC)

He said the federation's membership voted in favour of the registration fee, though it wasn't unanimous.

"There's going to be some people opposed to it, and it's change, but it's change for progress."

Mellish said the first objective is to connect the clubs together, then build the trail tip to tip. Eventually, he hopes it will lead to road access in communities that would be open to it.

"It's going to take us a few years, but baby steps and we'll get there," he said.

Hudson said he hopes to have the registration format in place by the end of the year.