Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
Wednesday, February 7, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - They love their sport and they love their sleds. What they do not love is the fact that, with all the snowmobile thefts in the city, their reputation as young riders has been tarnished.

Frustration is mounting in Yellowknife as snowmobiles are being stolen at alarming rates. So far all fingers point to youth as the culprits.

Melissa Weaver, 18, is a local snowmobile enthusiast. She said that people look at young riders differently now.

"I can understand why it's that way, but it's hard on us," she said.

Keenan Miller takes his '95 Skandic out every couple of weeks. He notices sideways glances when he's out with a group of friends, he said, especially when they pull up to a station for gas.

"They look at you funny," he said, "like, 'Is that your sled or did you steal it?'"

Youth in Yellowknife do steal snowmobiles, and he said he recognizes that. However, he said people can't assume all youth are criminals.

"I admit there are a lot that do steal sleds," he said, "but also a lot that don't. They snowmobile because they love it."

Two 17-year-olds, who requested their names be withheld, said that they and their friends have felt targeted by RCMP and bylaw officers for no reason but their youth and the snowmobiles in their trucks.

"My friends get pulled over all the time when they're driving with sleds in the back of their trucks," said one, an avid female snowmobiler.

The other youth, a 17-year-old boy, said he had been pulled over 20 times in six months.

"It's the whole image put out by some of those kids," he said. "I know a lot of older people, once someone young steals a Ski-Doo, they automatically (assume) anyone walking by their house or driving late at night is up to mischief."

It's frustrating to feel so targeted, he said.

"It's not like me and my friends are out stealing Ski-Doos and smashing up windows, and (yet) we get hassled more than the people doing that stuff."

"The problem is that the whole pack is being painted with the reputation of the few," said Doug Witty, owner of local snowmobile dealership Force One.

"The reality is that everyone is a little over-sensitive to snowmobile theft right now."

He doesn't blame the RCMP and bylaw for actively trying to curb the problem.

"In fact, I encourage it," he said.

The thefts need to be dealt with as they are a problem for the whole snowmobiling community, said Witty. However, it's the youth that must face the stigma.

"It's not fair," said Bruce Hewlko, spokesperson for the Great Slave Snowmobile Association Trailriders, "but unfortunately the good youth get pegged in with the bad ones."

"It's a few bad apples that have ruined it for everybody," agreed Wayne Overbo, of the Great Slave Snowmobile Association.

Everyone in the snowmobiling community contacted by Yellowknifer spoke highly of the majority of young riders in town.

"There is no doubt. There are lots of young people out there riding snowmobiles and riding them responsibly," said Witty.

However, even good kids get fed up.

"It's ridiculous because other youths are being targeted and treated like s**t because of a few people," said the unnamed male 17-year-old rider.