Provincial Bill 36, which passed in December, takes effect May 15, requiring an approved helmet for anyone “driving, operating, riding in or on, or being towed by” an off-highway vehicle, and sets out fines for violations.

For the purpose of the new rules, an “off-highway vehicle” is any motorized vehicle built for cross-country travel on land, water, snow, ice, marshes or “other natural terrain.”

Thus, the law covers use of all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, dirt bikes, utility terrain vehicles and amphibious vehicles, among others.

The bill defines “public land” as Crown land or other land which isn’t privately owned. That includes any areas designated for public off-highway vehicle use, as well as any public roadways and highway rights-of-way.

Bill 36 also sets fines of $155 for not wearing a helmet, and fines of $93 for wearing a helmet that isn’t CSA-compliant or is damaged or improperly modified. Those are the same fines already in place for on-road violations involving motorcycle riders, the province noted.

The law doesn’t require helmets for those using off-highway vehicles on their own property, on other private property with the owner’s permission, or on First Nations reserve or Metis settlement lands (except those with laws requiring it).

The province said the helmet rule doesn’t apply in the performance of “farming or ranching operations exempt from Alberta’s occupational health and safety laws.”

Those who have documented exemptions from Alberta Transportation, and are following the terms of those exemptions, are also exempt from the new helmet law, as are those who wear turbans as “bona fide” members of the Sikh faith, the province said.

Off-highway vehicles that have manufacturer-installed rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts that are being properly worn are also exempt from the helmet rule.

Vehicles that meet standards for motor vehicles designed for on-road use and have seat belts — for example, unmodified 4×4 trucks, SUVs or jeeps — are also exempt, the province said.

Safety helmets under the new law must meet the same standards required for motorcycle helmets, such as CSA Standard CAN3-D230-M85, among others.

“Albertans told us overwhelmingly that they wanted us to make helmets a requirement for OHV riders, and we responded,” Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Monday in a release. “This will keep riders safe so that OHVs can be enjoyed well into the future.”

Noting head injuries are the “No. 1 risk” to off-highway vehicle riders, Brent Hodgson, president of the Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association, said the province has “struck the right balance with this legislation.”

On average, according to the provincial Injury Prevention Centre, about 19 people die each year while operating off-highway vehicles in Alberta.

Out of the 185 deaths of ATV riders in Alberta between 2002 and 2013, the province said, 74 were due to head injuries and almost 80 per cent of those deaths involved people not wearing helmets.

Helmet use is still recommended for all off-highway vehicle users, even if they are exempt, the province said. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Farm, ranch work still exempt from Alberta helmet rule appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Providence, R.I.-based Textron Inc. announced Wednesday it has signed an all-cash merger deal to buy NASDAQ-traded Arctic Cat for $18.50 a share, or about $247 million (all figures US$).

Arctic Cat’s stockholders are expected to see tender offers for their shares by Feb. 7 at the latest, the companies said, noting the deal already has unanimous approval from Arctic Cat’s board.

“This transaction presents increased opportunities for the business to leverage our combined scale, accelerate growth and enhance product innovation in ways that will benefit our customers, dealers and employees,” Arctic Cat CEO Christopher Metz said in a release.

The deal calls for Arctic Cat to become part of the Specialized Vehicles business at Textron, an operating arm that already includes the Jacobsen, Cushman and Textron utility vehicle and accessory brands, among others.

The company’s Arctic Cat and Motorfist brands and its manufacturing and distribution sites will be maintained “with a focus on growing the business,” Arctic Cat said, noting it has “complementary” product portfolios with Textron in the recreational, utility and specialized vehicle market.

The merger, the companies said, will allow for “more aggressive investment in product development, dealer networks, marketing and customer service.”

Textron, whose operations outside the utility vehicle sector include Bell Helicopter, Cessna and Beechcraft, among others, recently rolled out a new outdoor recreational vehicle line under the Stampede brand.

Arctic Cat “provides an excellent platform to expand our portfolio, increase our distribution and create growth within our Specialized Vehicles business,” Textron CEO Scott Donnelly said in a separate release. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Textron to buy Arctic Cat appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Provincial Transportation Minister Brian Mason on Monday announced proposed amendments to Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act that would require recreational users of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), snowmobiles, motorcycles, amphibious vehicles and other such OHVs to wear helmets on public land.

The amendments Mason tabled Monday wouldn’t require the use of helmets for farming and ranching work, the province said. Certain provisions in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code call for workers who ride OHVs to wear helmets, but farm and ranch work would continue to be exempt.

The proposed amendments would also specifically exempt private property, in step with existing OHV laws under the Traffic Safety Act. The amendments would also exempt First Nations and Metis Settlement lands, the province said.

For the purposes of these amendments, “private” property refers to land owned by an OHV’s operator, or land owned by someone who has given permission to an OHV operator to ride there. “Public land” means Crown land or areas designated for public OHV use, public roadways and highway rights-of-way.

The proposed amendments would also allow for future exemptions to be made via regulations, the province said — for example, for operators of OHVs fitted with rollover protection structures and seat belts.

“The Traffic Safety Act amendments being proposed could make future helmet use decisions easier for our youth, as legislation becomes an additional encouragement to make safe personal choices,” Laura Nelson, executive director of the Raymond, Alta.-based Farm Safety Centre, said in the province’s release.

“We support the amendments being proposed and are hopeful they will be passed into law.”

During consultations in September, the province said, about 65 per cent of over 2,200 participants agreed helmets should be required for everyone riding an OHV.

The province saw 185 fatalities from ATV-related injuries between 2002 and 2013. Of those, the province said, nearly 80 per cent involved people not wearing helmets. The province estimated it sees almost 6,000 OHV-related emergency room visits per year. –– AGCanada.com Network

The post Farming work exempt from proposed Alberta helmet law appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

The province lifted its OHV ban for “much of the province” except for its forest areas around Lac La Biche and Fort McMurray, as of 4 p.m. Thursday (May 19).

The May 6 ban had applied to recreational use of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in provincial parks and on all other public lands. “Agriculture, public safety or commercial/industrial users who operate OHVs for farming, enforcement or business purposes” were exempt.

However, the province said Thursday, “even though conditions have improved, it is still important for Albertans to do their part to prevent wildfires.”

Riders of OHVs — a category including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), four-wheel vehicles, motorcycles and “related two-wheel vehicles and amphibious machines” — need to stop frequently and check for debris around a vehicle’s exhaust, in its engine and manifold, in its wheel wells and/or under its seat.

Debris in OHV hotspots can become superheated, fall to the ground and start a wildfire, the province said.

OHV riders are also urged to carry a small fire extinguisher and collapsible shovel to put out small fires, and to ensure the machine’s spark arrester and muffler are in “good working condition.”

Any alteration to an OHV’s factory components can increase the chance of starting a wildfire and can lead to “enforcement actions,” the province said.

As of Friday afternoon (May 20, 3:15 p.m.), 17 wildfires were burning in the province.

Of those 17, two are still deemed “out of control,” including the Fort McMurray fire, which has now covered over 1.24 million acres, and one west of Janvier, between Fort McMurray and Lac la Biche, estimated at over 320 acres.

Fort McMurray, Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray First Nation, Fort McKay First Nation and 19 camps north of Fort McMurray remained under a mandatory evacuation order Friday.

A “preliminary re-entry plan” has been set up, the province said, expecting Fort McMurray area residents can begin returning home June 1. –– AGCanada.com Network

The post Alberta lifts off-roading ban appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

The provincial government announced the temporary OHV ban Friday as “another tool… to help prevent the spread of wildfires,” on top of Thursday’s provincewide fire ban and its ban on use of incendiary targets on all provincial Crown lands.

“We do not take this step lightly; however, we must reduce the potential for more wildfires throughout the province,” Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips said in a release Friday.

“Quite simply, OHV recreational use under our current conditions has the very real potential to contribute to an already catastrophic wildfire season.”

OHVs, for the purpose of this ban, include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), four-wheel vehicles, motorcycles and “related two-wheel vehicles and amphibious machines.” The ban will apply to “recreational use on public lands, including designated OHV trails, only.”

But the ban won’t apply to “agriculture, public safety or commercial/industrial users who operate OHVs for farming, enforcement or business purposes.”

Indigenous peoples using OHVs in the exercise of rights covered by the federal Constitution Act and Natural Resources Transfer Agreement (NRTA) are also exempt from the ban.

Wildfire management staff, conservation officers and Fish and Wildlife officers will enforce the temporary ban starting “immediately,” the province said.

In announcing its fire ban on Thursday, the province had urged riders to “avoid OHV use as much as possible.”

To prevent wildfires, OHV users must ensure no debris builds up around a vehicle’s exhaust, in its engine and manifold, in its wheel wells and/or under its seat, the province said in a separate notice.

Muskeg should be avoided “at all times,” the province said, but if it can’t be avoided, riders should stop and remove any debris that may have built up in those spots on the vehicle.

OHV riders are also urged to carry a small fire extinguisher and collapsible shovel to put out small fires, and to ensure the machine’s spark arrester and muffler are in “good working condition.”

Any alteration to an OHV’s factory components can increase the chance of starting a wildfire and can lead to “enforcement actions,” the province said.

The province said the OHV ban came in response to a request from the Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association.

“As responsible OHV users in this province we want to do our part to prevent wildfires and to reduce the burden on firefighters and emergency personnel,” AOHVA president Brent Hodgson said Friday in the province’s release.

As of Friday afternoon, 40 wildfires were reported to be burning in the province, the largest of which forced the evacuation of the northeastern Alberta city of Fort McMurray. Of the 40 fires, five are still deemed “out of control.”

The Alberta SPCA is co-ordinating support for horses and other livestock in affected areas, the province said Friday.

The SPCA will also assist if evacuees bring horses or other livestock with them to the evacuees’ reception centre at Northlands in Edmonton, the province said. — AGCanada.com Network

The post Farming uses exempt from Alberta off-roading ban appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.