Kawartha Lakes – The use of off road vehicles (ORVs) is a very popular form of recreational activity here in Kawartha Lakes. Although meant to be driven on all kinds of terrain, current municipal and provincial legislation in place have put restrictions on the allowance of these vehicles across different roads within the municipality.

A decision was made back in October 2020 to develop a Task Force to review the current restrictions in place. The goal of the Task Force is to provide advice and recommendations to Council on the use of off road vehicles, including all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off road vehicles (ORVs) on municipal roads. This includes reviewing the following items:

• Existing potential linkages for off road vehicles within the current trail network. This includes but is not limited to the connection of the trail system across Lindsay
• Recommendations on access to municipal property
• Recommendations on restrictions or prohibitions related to legislation of ORVs
• Public and stakeholder consultation through regular meetings, surveys and/or public meetings as deemed appropriate by the Task Force

The Task Force is made up of members of Council, Kawartha Lakes Staff as well as members of the public. The first meeting of the ORV Task Force was held on February 8 when Councillor Dunn was elected Chair and Carolyn Richards, President of the Kawartha ATV Association, was elected Vice Chair. The Task Force then discussed its first steps for reviewing current legislation and looked into developing educational content around important topics for ORV use.

“With recent changes in legislation and an increase of vehicles in the area, this Task Force will be critical in helping guide Kawartha Lakes in making safe and responsible decisions around future ORV use,” stated Councillor Dunn.

The next Task Force meeting will be held on Friday, February 19. The meeting is open to the public and can be watched live on our YouTube channel.

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