Fort Good Hope to make protection compulsory
Maria Canton
Northern News Services
Fort Good Hope (Jan 29/01) - It would be hard time to find anyone in Fort Good Hope who isn't in favour of adding mandatory helmet use to the Snowmobile Act.
"The consensus in town is that everyone is in favour of it," said Jim Craig, an avid snowmobiler and manager of the snowmobile-selling Co-op.
"Everyone was affected by the accident in October and a lot of people feel some of the injuries or even a death could have been prevented if they were wearing helmets."
Craig is referring to the October 2000 head-on-collision between two snowmobiles that resulted in three deaths and serious injuries to two other riders.
Since then the K'Asho Got'ine Dene Band council has held two public meetings to gather ideas and input that will help them amend the Snowmobile Act and make helmet wearing the law.
Tom Forbes, acting band senior administrative officer, said if council approves the proposed amendments, the new bylaw will take effect by next September.
The new bylaw will be effective only within municipal boundaries. Riders who aren't wearing a helmet will be subject to a $150 fine.
"We need to give people time to get helmets and start wearing them, we can't make it a law one night and start fining people the next morning."
