by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 03/97) - RCMP and municipal enforcement officers spent the weekend cruising, not on the city streets but on lakes and rivers.

Four officers were out enforcing snowmobile safety and cracking down on speeders.

"I'm pretty impressed with the general snowmobile population," said RCMP Const. Shawn Pollard after the weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, Pollard, joined by Auxiliary Const. Paul Mounsey, municipal officers Const. Doug Gillard and Const. Cory Bronson, set up a couple of check-stops and pulled over about 50 drivers each day.

Snowmobilers were checked for licences and registration, and for the most part, Pollard said he was surprised at the number of people who were riding by the rules.

A couple of people who were stopped were enlightened, finding out their snowmobile registration had expired even though they had a 1996-1997 sticker on their sled.

Pollard advises all drivers that last winter's sticker is good only until Sept. 1997 and that they should renew their stickers.

Only six tickets were handed out all weekend. There was no speeding except for the occasional driver going a few clicks over the 40 km/h maximum on lakes within city limits.

Pollard said the snowmobile patrol will be out all winter keeping tabs on the habits of snowmobilers.