Lea Bartlett holds up her new soap Bee 4 U which she created to raise funds for SIRCH’s Community Kitchen. The proceeds from the sale of the soap are being donated to the initiative that has given out more than 5700 free meals since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. To date Bartlett has sold 88 bars of soap resulting in a $792 donation. Her goal is to sell 200 bars. /Photo submitted by Lea Bartlett By Jenn Watt
Feb. 7 2017
Academics behind a University of Guelph study on the physical demand of snowmobiling are conducting some of their research at Haliburton Forest and organizers are looking for volunteers to take part.
Dennis Burns of the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations is helping with recruitment and said participation takes about one hour.
“They go for a test ride they come back and we put them on a bumpy trail” Burns told the paper.
Throughout the ride the volunteer riders are being monitored to see how many calories they are burning throughout the differing conditions.
The body’s reaction to the snowmobile ride will be compared to a baseline physical fitness exercise done on a pedal bike so that researchers can gauge what kind of physical effect riding the sled is having.
Burns said many snowmobilers will be familiar with the aching muscles that go with the first time out on a machine each winter; he expects the research will quantify the experience that many have.
The research is being done on a closed course at Haliburton Forest and uses the Forest’s rental snowmobiles. The research is being done on Feb. 11 12 18 19 20 21 and 22. Volunteers can pick their time and day to be involved.
“We believe this will confirm the exercise you get when you’re out there riding” said Burns.
Research has been commissioned by the CCSO in the past to look into the economic impact of the industry recently finding that snowmobiling in Canada is a $8 billion industry that employs more than 41000 people.
Burns said Haliburton Forest is the perfect location for the study because they can close the trail and there are rental snowmobiles there.
“It’s just in my view a perfect location” he said.
There is no cost to participating in the study. Volunteering takes about an hour on one of the following days: Feb. 11 12 18 19 20 21 and 22. To sign up or if you have questions contact Andy Chvedukas at drew.chvedukas@hotmail.com.
