Family With Long Ski Background Buy Mount Baldy: Host Polaris Ride Day!
ABITIBI TEMISCAMINGUE, QUEBEC: A SNOWMOBILE PARADISE
ARCTIC CAT ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO BE ACQUIRED BY TEXTRON IN $247 MILLION ALL-CASH TRANSACTION
GET HOOKED! LET’S GO FISHING! Community Traffic Awareness Committee: Get a Grip on Winter Driving
A Snowmobile Day Ride To Silver Mountain Station
ARCTIC CAT ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO BE ACQUIRED BY TEXTRON IN $247 MILLION ALL-CASH Delivers substantial all-cash premium to Arctic Cat shareholders; Textron committed to continued, longterm growth of Arctic Cat; Combined businesses better positioned to be powersports industry leader MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arctic Cat Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAT) announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement under which Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) will acquire Arctic Cat in a cash transaction valued at approximately $247 million, plus the assumption of existing debt. Under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Arctic Cat board of directors, Textron, through a wholly owned subsidiary, will commence a tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Arctic Cat at $18.50 per share in cash, representing a 40.7 percent premium to the closing price of Arctic Cat's common stock on January 20, 2017. Arctic Cat anticipates that tender offer materials will be provided to shareholders no later than February 7, 2017. The completion of the acquisition is subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. “This transaction presents increased opportunities for the business to lever-
age our combined scale, accelerate growth and enhance product innovation in ways that will benefit our customers, dealers and employees.” Tweet this “Arctic Cat’s board believes that Textron’s offer delivers compelling and immediate value to our shareholders,” said Christopher Metz, Arctic Cat’s president and chief executive officer. “This transaction presents increased
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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.” Textron is a multi-industry company with over $13 billion in annual revenues and approximately 35,000 employees. Arctic Cat will become part of Textron’s Specialized Vehicles business, maintaining its iconic Arctic Cat brand, as well as its current manufacturing, distribution and operational facilities, with a focus on growing the business. Arctic Cat and Textron Specialized Vehicles have complementary product portfolios of recreational, utility and specialized vehicles. The combined businesses will be well positioned to be a powersports industry leader with a wider product line-up, and allow for more aggressive investment in product development, dealer networks, marketing and customer service. Metz added: “We are proud of the progress our team has made to lay the foundation for Textron to continue taking this company forward. Textron plans to build on Arctic Cat’s strong brand and history of innovation. We expect many Arctic Cat employees to benefit from expanded career opportunities as part of a larger, more diversified company. On behalf of the Arctic Cat board and management team, we thank our dedicated employees for their hard work, commitment and pride in making Arctic Cat an enduring competitor and beloved brand in the powersports market. We are excited about Arctic Cat’s future.” Advisors Baird is serving as financial advisor and Fredrikson & Byron is serving as legal counsel to Arctic Cat. Shearman & Sterling LLP is serving as legal counsel to Textron. About Arctic Cat The Arctic Cat brand is among the
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most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. Arctic Cat Inc.’s world headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ACAT.” More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.arcticcat.com. About Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility and personal transportation vehicles, professional turf-care equipment, and ground support equipment. Textron Specialized Vehicles markets products under the E-Z-GO®, Cushman®, Textron Off Road™, Jacobsen®, Dixie Chopper®, Ransomes®, TUG™, Douglas™, Premier™ and Safeaero™ brands. Its vehicles are found in environments ranging from golf courses to factories, airports to planned communities, and theme parks to hunting preserves. About Textron Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Off Road, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information visit: www.textron.com.
www.slednews.ca ABITIBI TEMISCAMINGUE, QUEBEC: A SNOWMOBILE PARADISE BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Great Outdoors Snow has been at a premium in Northern Ontario this year and the opportunity to ride the trails near Rouyn Noranda Quebecs everal years ago was one I jumped at right away! I have gone snowmobiling in Quebec before and I knew the trails would be great and the hospitality of the people fantastic. I was definitely accurate again this trip! My journey began with Air Canada flights to Toronto, Montreal and Rouyn. After a great night’s stay at Motel Alpin it was off to Location Blais to pick up my Ski Doo Grand Touring with a 1200 cc 4 stroke engine. We began our 4 day 900 kilometer journey saddle bag ride with meeting our guide, Yvon Lafond, a retired college administrator. The ride took us 85 km south of Rouyn on trails that were wide and smooth through beautiful scenery. "The rain two weeks ago almost destroyed the trails but the groomer operators did a great job," said Yvon Lafond. "In Rouyn, we have 1000 club members. The groomers are 2 New Holland and one John Deere tractor. We share a fourth one with the ATV club." I started snowmobiling 5 years ago when I retired, as I wanted to do something quite different. Snowmobiling is very, very popular here. I said I will try it and see if it is fun. Now I enjoy going out and riding with my wife. She likes it too. It is nice to enjoy the sun and good friends.
Sometimes we stay over night," said Lafond. "Normally, we start riding about Dec 20th and can ride until the end of March. Sometimes, we are able to ride right up to Easter weekend. This year it is not as cold as usual and we have less snow."
After a great lunch, I met Guy Lauzon of Club Moto-neige Temiscamingue who along with his friends Claude and Serge would ride with me over the next two days. Before he explained, "We had many small clubs and everyone was doing their own grooming with smaller units and a small Skidoo with 2 by 4‘s as a drag. Thirty years ago we became one large club and then we were able to buy a tractor. Today we have 711 km of trails. The club is now contracting a farmer after several public tenders to do our grooming. We rent the tractors and use our track system. Our trail groomers work 24 hours a day when it is stormy. One of our main machines is a John Deere
tractor 6700- 150 HP worth about $150,000." Guy Lauzon went on. "We have to rationalize the machinery usage all year round. You can tell the trails are better with our approach. We have local, regional and provincial trails. The trails are all maintained on the same schedule."
The Club Moto-neige Temiscamingue has 700 members this year with some of its smaller years at 400 members. A trail permit costs $285 and if you are caught on the trail without it, the penalty is $350. Before Dec 9th, you pay $235. A weekly pass is $175. It was exciting riding with Guy, Serge and Claude! These two days of riding were perhaps the best of my career. We followed many types of trails, including traveling along old railway beds, through trees, onto lakes and into wide
open farmer’s fields. A great destination was seeing La Grand Chute which is a fast moving rapid on the river. There were covered historic bridges, and even large power dams to see. After exceptional sunny days of riding our home base was Domaine Temi
Kami, a beautiful cottage resort in Duhamel-Ouest. This is a beautiful area of the region!
My next guide was Paul Levesque , President of the club in Val-d’Or. Levesque sells tractors for a living after 20 years in the mining industry and 6 years in the excavation business. Val-d’Or, sometimes which is known as known as the Valley of Gold had received lots of snow in November. This club can open trails just before Christmas and stays open until April 12th. They have 1,013 permit holders in a city of 35,000 people. The club has been in existence for 40 years and operates about 750 km of trails with 4 groomers. " We have one tractor, 2 new piston bully machines and 2 older BR180’s. We pay the groomers operators and at the end of the year we plan
a schedule to get them ready for next year. We believe in well maintained equipment," said Paul Levesque. Their equipment makes the trails available up to 16 hours per day. We try not to groom during the day because of the traffic. Sometimes we groom a trail 3 times per week. We attract Americans, people from Ontario and even from as far away as France. This is definitely snowmobile country!" " I admire the fact that the trails are wide and well groomed. We have a lot of good people maintaining the trials. You can do lake riding, rail beds, field and through the bush. The riders here respect the private property owners," said Levesque. This year we are down to about 30 cm of snow. Our usual is about 3 feet and we have had one foot this year. In the early season, we go on ATV’s and pack the snow. We do a great deal of preparation work on the trails to make sure they are ready to ride as soon as possible. Snowmobiling is important for tourism and commerce. The Val-d’Or economy has been based on mining gold, a good industry. Forestry is not as booming but there are still many people spending money. Tourism would be the third aspect of our economy." After another great ride to Val-d’Or, we traveled to the Auberge Harricana resort to spend the night. It is a very impressive large log cabin structure that caters to snowmobile visitors from as far away as France. Over 20 Yamaha sleds are for rent and will guide guests throughout the region. The food and hospitality here are amazing! Continued
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ABITIBI TEMISCAMINGUE, QUEBEC: A SNOWMOBILE PARADISE BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Great Outdoors Continued My last day of riding back to Rouyn will be with Nelson Laflamme, regional administrator of the Quebec Federation for Quebec trail system for Abitibi Temiscamingue and the north Quebec region. These are two large regions which include 11 clubs, 5000 members and 3700 km of groomed trails. "The federation is the best support the clubs can have. They have the expertise and funds and can help with groomers. We have a good relationship with the
Quebec and Federal government. They help us provide the best trails we can offer to encourage tourism. They are really behind the club with the Abitibi Temiscamingue Tourism region," said Nelson Laflamme. "There are over 200 people from France every year that come here for 1 week at Auberge Harricana and ride the region. We attract people from Michigan, Ohio, Vermont and Ontario as well. In our area, we have great temperatures, large spaces and wide, well groomed trails. We try to make our trails 24 feet wide with good signage for safety. With even less snow this year our trails are still good. The groomers remade the trails by
cutting the ice and renewing the trails."There are many entrances to the
area where you can trailer your sleds and leave the trailers. You come from Montreal, Ottawa and Muskoka..." We have a really nice trail from Cochrane to our area. You could leave with your sleds from Kirkland Lake, Haileybury, Cochrane and North Bay. You will be well accepted everywhere here. People will be proud to receive you and take care of you while you are here." said
Nelson Laflamme.
During my riding, I encountered some Southern Ontario riders who come to the Abitibi Temiscamingue region to ride each year. "We come because of the snow conditions, the hospitality and the people. The season tends to run longer and the trail system is really good. It takes us three hours to drive to Temiscamingue and then we had a day riding to get to Rouyn, Noranda. We will do 4 days of riding and travel 1400 km at least." said Ted Smith of Bracebridge, Ontario. "The trails are good except for the snow drought areas. The atmosphere here is great with very friendly people. Even with the language barrier they are more than willing to communicate with you. We have been coming here for 5 or 6 years." " In Muskoka, there is so much traffic that by noon the trails are rough. You are also constantly meeting sleds on the trail. Here we don’t see as many sleds. We love the fact that the trails are always in good shape from the beginning of the day to the end of the day for all four days. The trails are in great shape." said Gord Tanner of Muskoka.
My snowmobile trip ended back up at the Motel Alpin where it had started. It was one of my best rides ever. The trails were great, my 2010 Ski Doo Grand Touring a fantastic sled for this type of riding and most importantly the people here are very special. Their genuine nature was indeed something that I will always remember!
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Family With Long Ski Background Buy Mount Baldy:Host Polaris Ride Day BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Great Outdoors A long time Thunder Bay ski family hasrecently purchased Mount Baldy and begun a journey to make it better for local families to enjoy. Kristof Kardas, age 41 is the co-owner of Mount Baldy Ski Hill. “My brothers, Daniel and Jason, and myself bought Mount Baldy, kinda to fulfill our parents
dream of owning a ski hill. Daniel is co owner with me as well of the Ski & Snowboard Exchange and Jason is out over seeing us from Calgary!” laughs Kristof. Kristof, his father and brothers were all competitive ski jumpers and grew up at
Big Thunder and Sundance here in Thunder Bay. His two brothers have been on the National Ski Jumping Team for Canada. His dad, Slav, has been a National team coach and an Olympian. Kristof has coached womens ski jumping
teams. “ We do everything together as a family and have always done that. The Ski & Board Exchange business started back in the day when we were ski jumping as a way to raise money. It would help skiers we picked up along the way to help with their travel and buying equipment. Dad always loved going back to Europe and bringing everyone to get the experience there no matter what level they were at,” said Kristof. “ We have grown the retail
ski business, adding in companies we deal with like Atomic and Salomon, building our brand, adding more new products while still carrying the used product as well as the rental line we offer to first time riders. Also we soon needed to add the next level products we learned about out west in Banff and Canmore where we lived for 10 years after Big Thunder closed.” The Ski & Snowboard Exchange is a ski and snow board retailer. “We have great customers and want to give each customer 100 % attention. We will go out with you and show you how to cross country ski or downhill ski here. If the person doesn’t have a good ski experience we could lose them and they might not come back,”said Kristof. At Mount Baldy our job doesn't stop after the lesson is over, maybe you take a run with little Johnny and see how he is doing which might encourage another lesson and upgrade so they will stick with the sport and get a better feeling.”
said Kristof. “We want to start fresh with Mount Baldy and see if some of our ideas will work. We took over Mount Baldy, November 1st and did some cosmetic upgrades to kinda say thank you to the customers that Craig Spiess had and welcome to the customers we are going to bring from Ski SnowBoard Exchange. I could be in the office looking at the computer but I would rather be out in the field seeing and listening to the customers to help find out what we can do next to improve, what the customer wants out of Mount Baldy for next season.” “ In the ski industry we are a fickle bunch. For instance Lutsen is a bit of a draw right now as they offer the condo, the hot tub, a great eatery but there is no reason why we can’t have that here and have them come and see us. Their dollar is better but they don’t come to see us so how can we improve our ski hills to attract them and promote tourism.”
“ Our ski shop is like a therapy shop, we get to hear about all the hills and what they feel is going right and wrong. Now with the ski hill we get both sides of the equation,” smiles Kristoff. “ Today at Mount Baldy, the North Country Cycle & Sports ride is a good example of doing something different to attract people here. In Shuniah we don’t have the OFSC trails anymore which I think is a shame. The city is on the upside right now and there is sled traffic here from Slate River, Pass Lake and it is a great fit.” “ Mount Baldy is a love investment for us. We had the opportunity and ability to do it. You don’t get this type of opportunity too often. If we missed this one we would have said what if and at least now we can say we did it and how can we build on it. It will be a fun ride.”
“ Mount Baldy was a good fit for my brother Danny and myself as we both live here in Shuniah. This is a really family oriented business and we are a family based company. My whole life we have always worked together as a family. We may butt heads but at the end of the day we all go home as a family and push each other to do better. We don’t want the easy route,”
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GET HOOKED! LET’S GO FISHING! ence the sport of fishing. Fred says the people come from places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. Residents (those who own property in Ontario) do not have to apply for camping permits but still must have an Outdoors Card for fishing/fishing permit, everyone else must apply for camping permits and outdoors cards.
By Sherry Aalto So you are watching your kid just sitting there gaming and gaming and gaming and you’re thinking to yourself for the one hundredth time, “Why can’t they do anything else?!” Well? Maybe they need to be introduced to a different kind of Gaming?! But you will have to win their interest first! You will have to engage in the action on their level. Many parents for example, want to get their kids involved in ‘THE GREAT OUTDOORS’ but it becomes more of a grueling coaxing than an endeared event! So here is a new approach to a seemingly rejected idea. First you have to talk out loud in the house, in front of the kids, to a third party, about all the excitement you had landing the BIG ONE! You also have to excitingly make mention of the size of the catch and the struggle and challenge that took place and how you almost lost the battle! Kids want action and challenge! They want excitement and uncertainty when involved in the unknown! What they don’t want is a parent telling then what to do! They want a buddy that they can SHARE an experience with! You still have to parent but, nothing takes the fun out of something more than telling someone what to do rather than guiding and letting them try for themselves! The point is
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this, to hopefully get everyone to put down the gloves and pick up the rods! The fishing rods that is! Just ask Fred Brown and his wife Carole of Fort Francis Ontario. Fred Brown has been fishing since he was old enough to hold a fishing rod. His father was an avid outdoorsmen and fishing guide and Fred and his brothers were all fishing guides and if it anything Fred knows it is this…fishing is the only game in town that is never the same two days in
a row. Fred, his wife, his two daughters and four granddaughters are all avid fishermen and fisherwomen. You never know what you are going to catch and you never know how the fight for the catch is going to go but, Fred affirms in a nut shell that “Once you feel that fish on the end of your rod…YOU ARE THE ONE THAT IS HOOKED!” Having fished all over Northwestern Ontario, fishing in any season is O.K. with Fred. Fishing for trout, walleye and crappies (pan fish that can grow up to 16 inches long and look like bass). There are apparently lots of crappies in the lakes in Rainy River, Lake of the Woods and Fort Francis area. If you love to fish, you can arrange to go to rustic camps or to high end comfort resorts, depending on your level of personal comfort…the choice is yours! There are excellent fisheries in Northern Ontario. Fred is familiar with a number of regular fishing people that come from all over the U.S. to enjoy and experi-
When you think of the money you will be spending on the sport of fishing, you will find that it pales in comparison to the amount of personal enjoyment that you will get from being in the great outdoors, especially when you share this with family or with friends. Fishing is one interest that can create a greater bond with the young people in your family and they will remember it for years. You will be passing along a wonderful tradition, but don’t to tell them that! A bit of blackmail never hurts either if the kids won’t join in…LOL! Read this: “Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day…Teach a man to fish and he can post it on Facebook and Youtube so his kids can be embarrassed if they don’t go fishing with him!” but save this for a last resort! Spring fishing is around the corner and here in Northern Ontario and one can enjoy some of the world’s best fishing and the whole family can do this, no age restriction! Imagine that! You can drive to a fishery, a lake or resort or you can arrange to go to a ‘fly-in’ fishing resort, either way you won’t find this type of entertainment on any 50 inch screen T.V.! Fred wants every parent to know this… “Fishing has afforded some of the best memories with his family and that the one thing to NEVER do, is to cheap out on a fishing rod. When it comes to buying a rod for your kids, get them a good one. Not only will the fishing experience be better but there is a certain pride in owning a fine piece of sporting equipment! And! And! The rod won’t break if your kid ends up in a fight with the big one!” So! If you want to get your kid ‘hooked’ on fishing, you had better hook them up with a fish and let the fish do the rest!! There are literally hundreds of places to go for excellent fishing in Northern Ontario so just link up on google with Northwestern Ontario Fishing and see where your next sunny afternoon will bring you and your kids! Actually! Get the kids to search it out for you, they love being on the computer anyway and they might just start making the plans themselves! Also, don’t forget to offer to video them catching the big one so they can post it themselves on their FB page or on Youtube. But, be sure to use their camera/phone to take the footage because they will want to have full control of such ‘sensitive’ information for when it comes to uploading anything about them! So there you go! You can combine fishing with technology and everyone is HAPPY! So what are you waiting for?
Community Traffic Awareness Committee: Get a Grip on Winter Driving The Community Traffic Awareness Committee (CTAC) is urging Thunder Bay drivers to Get a Grip on their safety this winter. The organization asserts that installing winter tires allows drivers to maintain control on the roads despite unfavourable weather conditions, effectively reducing collisions. CTAC hopes that by addressing the need for winter tires, responsible driving practices will be encouraged across the region during what is often the most dangerous time of the year.
Tom Marinis, with the Ministry of Transportation and member of CTAC says; “Northwestern Ontario drivers can face unrelenting winter conditions and heavy snowfall. We are reminding drivers that installing winter tires is of the utmost importance as all-season tires begin to lose their grip in temperatures as mild as +7°C. Although it is a seasonal concern, not utilizing winter tires can have just as much impact on your safety as going too fast for road conditions.”
James Iannetti, General Manager, Canadian Tire Thunder Centre says; “Unlike winter tires, all-seasons don’t have the channel patterns for traction in deep snow.” Iannetti recommends applying studs to winter tires as an additional safety precaution. “Installing winter tires can shorten stopping distance up to 60 feet, and inserting studs prevents sliding even further. This traction in snow and cold weather could mean the difference between getting to your destination and getting into a very serious collision.” Iannetti reminds motorists: “When shopping for winter tires - look for the three peak mountain snowflake symbol located on the sidewall of the tire”
Ontario drivers can look forward to a recently introduced insurance discount for those who use winter tires as part of an initiative to improve road safety and lower insurance premiums in the province. “The mandatory insurance discount is great for motorists who may be deterred by the price of installing winter tires,” says Marinis.
City and highway commuters, as well as commercial drivers, are encouraged to also check road conditions before departing to ensure safe driving. “Ontario 511 is a great resource for every type of driver as it gives 24/7 access to Ministry of Transportation road information on provincially maintained highways,” con-
tinues Marinis. “This information is a great supplement to vehicle preparedness, and very accessible via phone or online at Ontario.ca/511. The weather may be beyond our control, but we all have control over our safety on the roads.”
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A Snowmobile Day Ride To Silver Mountain Station It was a beautiful sunny day in Thunder Bay for a snowmobile ride on the Thunder Bay Adventure Trails.
One of our riders almost immediately had an off trail experience but had no problems except for a few bent front end parts. He could still ride the trip and it was nice to arrive at our destination,Silver Mountain Station for a great
We have had an up and down snow year this season but the conditions looked good for a ride. After stopping for gas at the
lunch, for me a gourmet burger and hot chocolate! There has always been something about the feeling of riding with others
Kakabeka Falls Fantasy Falls Shell it was off to unload the sleds at the Adrian Lake Road. Usually you might start from the Kakabeka Falls Park but it was felt today the trails would be best further out. Our destination this day would be the Silver Mountain Station, a historic
that like getting out in the fresh air and seeing our beautiful NW Ontario
BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Great Outdoors
restaurant which would be some 50 Km’s away. This day we had all the snowmobile brands represented including two snowmobiles of the year in 2014 and 2016!
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scenery as well. I’ve been snowmobiling for almost 50 years now but it never gets old. After lunch it was off on the way back to the trailers. The trails were nice to ride,needed more snow and grooming, but conditions should improve as we go along this season. I’m hoping for less rain and more
snow! At home I was out riding the next day and met up with a young family on on their sleds including 120’s. I started riding at age 11. Today you can be age 4 or 5!