Innisfil ice watch

most guy with machines already have augers. besides anything towed behind machines need to have ridged towbars.

As already stated you are required by law to have a solid tow bar to pull a sled behind a machine. The reason I was asking if you had a machine is because I am also a walker and I know how heavy my sled can get and I use a manual auger. I thought about a gas or electric but I don't want to pull the extra weight. Also since I walk, I won't move as much as a person with a machine so no need to drill 100 holes a day.

That solid tow bar, isn't that required only for snowmobiles?


Motorized Snow Vehicles Act

Towing
By means of a rigid tow bar
19. (1) No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle which is towing a cutter, toboggan, sled or similar conveyance except by means of a rigid tow bar. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44, s. 19 (1).



But ATV is not a motorized snow vehicle and I don't think there is any law stating you have to have a rigid tow bar when pulling a sled with an ATV.


Don't get me wrong, I consider a solid tow bar a must and have one myself but as far as law is concerned, I'm not so sure.

Anything towed on the ice by anything with a motor needs a rigid tow bar. And welcome to the forum Peter and although most ice fisherman are fairly hospitable, Iwouldn't count on hitching rides as a regular occurrence. You might get lucky once in a while, but odds are you won't unless by previous arrangement. I think what nfisher is saying is that you might find walking with a lot of gear cumbersome. I also often walk, and use a gas auger, but I don't usually walk far. That auger that weighs 40 lbs on the way out when you're fresh in the morning can feel like 400 lbs on the way back in.

Thanks for clarifying Willhound, weight for walkers is a killer especially in a few inches of new snow. So as not to give the wrong impression, many of the guys and gals on the ice are great and will stop to help a person in trouble. Expecting to catch a ride out is unrealistic as everyone heading out are normally already towing out their own gear and could not take on a passenger and their gear if they wanted to.

Last season I was out perch'n, about 70 yards away from a hut that wasn't occupied. Later in the day this snowmobile comes out heading towards this hut towing with some cheap nylon rope not one, but two young'ns on snowracers! He came over to ask how the fishng was and I explained to him what he was doing was illegal and he was apt to get ticketed. He brussed off the information and was more interested in what I was using....

Willhound, please show us where it states in black & white you need a rigid towbar for anything towed behind an ATV. MSV(snowmobile) yes, it's in the MSV act. Don't get me wrong, I'm in favour for having it, I called MTO last year and they said it doesn't apply.

Only applies when you're towing something along public highways, roads, etc.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/orv.shtml , I only use a ridged bar .

Those rules are for the roadway use, has nothing to do with trails/on ice.

I have a friend who is a policeman and towed his new portable with a rope last year. I knew of the law and when I asked where his tow bar was, he responded with the "snowmobile law" (they hadn't caught up to the ATVs yet).

Great pics! I am new to the forum but getting to see the ice conditions without driving up from Newmarket is a great help. Thanks!

Trust me, it applies to both and because of the wording can be open to discussion, BUT it depends on who stops you. Besides anyone with any sense knows that towing anything on the ice with a rope becomes dangerous. We've all done it, but that is no excuse and to tow kids this way is just playing with fire.

Well here you have the explicit answer from MTO.

Dear Mr.
Thank you for your e-mail expressing concern that the Off-Road Vehicles Act (ORVA) fails to reference the need for off-road vehicles to be mandated to have a rigid tow bar installed for towing conveyances. The Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Transportation, has asked me to respond on his behalf.

You are correct in identifying that the ORVA is silent on the need for off-road vehicles to be equipped with tow bars. Especially when compared to section 19 of the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act.

While tow bars are not explicitly required by the act, we have taken steps to ensure that all off-road vehicle users are required to practice safe riding techniques. For example, section 19 (2) of the ORVA requires that anyone riding in a conveyance towed by an off-road vehicle must wear a helmet that is securely fastened. Or that under the equipment requirements found in Highway Traffic Act Regulation 316/03, all-terrain vehicles permitted to travel along a road must conform to industry standards that require the installation of a carry bar on the rear of the vehicle.

MTO will definitely consider addressing this equipment requirement in any future reviews of the Off-Road Vehicles Act. Thank you again for bringing this concern to our attention.
Sincerely,
Karl Groskopf
Team Leader – Special Projects

Those rules are for the roadway use, has nothing to do with trails/on ice.

Kind of gotten of the thread topic here, but where I beleive they are gonna get you is unless you can magically teleport your ATV onto the ice, the Highway Traffic Act applies to ATV use in or on municipally controlled lands/property including parking lots, access points, boat ramps etc. as per the by-law that each community must have in place to allow use of ATV's in their community. So as an example, offloading in the parking lot of Innisfil Beach Park and driving off the boat ramp requires a rigid tow bar since the highway traffic act requires anything towed to be rigidly attached. Can't quote you the exact Act and section numbers, but trust me, it's in there.

Fish at couchingching today and its cold as hell! if the wind die down tonight it will freeze for sure