Kawartha Lakes to develop off road vehicle Task Force

Kawartha Lakes – At the October 20 Regular Council meeting, a decision was made to develop a taskforce regarding off road vehicle (ORV) use on municipal roads across Kawartha Lakes. Most roads in Kawartha Lakes currently do not permit ORV use except for those locations listed under Section 3 of the current By-Law 2019-077.

“Kawartha ATV reported that their membership base has almost doubled in 2020 and we’ve seen quite a surge in ORV use over the past year,” commented Councillor Tracy Richardson. “Through developing a Task Force, we will be able to identify safe and legal ways to expand off road vehicle use across Kawartha Lakes, giving residents even more opportunities to further explore their own backyards.”

In addition to the increased demand, the decision comes forward after a presentation was made in August regarding the upcoming changes through Bill 107, a provincial regulation that will permit ORV use on all road networks under municipal jurisdiction, unless the municipality itself restricts access. Council has chosen not to make any current changes to the By-law at this time and will review options related to regulations once recommendations are presented through the Task Force.

The terms for the Task Force are to be developed by the end of 2020. The Task Force will consult with the public and provide recommendations back to Council by the end of March 2021. This timeline is targeted to allow for recommendations to be implemented for the start of the season in May 2021.

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