John Enright is looking forward to spending more time whipping around County trails this winter after scaling back his responsibilities with the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association (HCSA).
The Kinmount resident completed his third year as president of the club over the summer, passing the baton to Neil Vanderstoop. It marked the end of 30 years of executive volunteerism at clubs across the province.
“Snowmobiling has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I’ve had a great run these past three years as [HCSA] president, but my goal now is to get out and spend a lot more time on my snowmobile, because when you’re president you don’t get to do much of that,” Enright told The Highlander. “I’ve put in my time, now I just want to be one of the boys.”
Enright has had three stints with HCSA, originally joining as a club director in the 1990s. He left in the early 2000s, with his work taking him away from Haliburton County, but returned briefly in 2010. He came home when he retired, serving as president of the club between 2020 and 2023.
“I’m like a bad smell, I just won’t go away,” Enright said.
He oversaw operations during an unprecedented time of struggle with the pandemic but helped spin that negative into an overwhelming positive. HCSA was recognized as Ontario’s top snowmobile club in 2021, something Enright still beams about today.
Now heading into its 52nd season, the HCSA is responsible for grooming and maintaining 370 kilometres of trails that mostly stretch across the west and central parts of the County. The club boasts more than 2,500 members and a reputation that draws riders from across Ontario, Enright said.
Shortly after announcing he would be stepping down, Enright was recognized for his promotion of HCSA by being nominated for an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) communications award. He beat out the competition, being named as a “worthy winner” by OFSC director Neil Nicholson at a ceremony in Huntsville Sept. 27.
Enright was credited for his years of service, with Nicholson saying he excels at pulling people together during good times and bad for the betterment of snowmobiling in the Highlands. Enright was also commended for his ‘Trail Talk’ segment, which airs weekly on MooseFM during the winter, providing updates on HCSA operations and trail tips for local riders.
“I am truly humbled to have been chosen by my peers as the winner. It’s a wonderful way to wind down 30 years of volunteering,” Enright said. “I still plan to be involved in HCSA, but very much in the background, and hope to do some work provincially to improve the rider experience for people across Ontario.”
