Husky News

Mother Nature has forced organizers to cancel sled dog races here this weekend – although the remaining events will proceed as scheduled.

Wilma Bush told Thursday there was too much ice on the trails “and it was just not safe for the dogs to race on.”

She said cancelling the races is a bitter pill to swallow considering that this weekend is the 30th anniversary of Marmora SnoFest.

“We’re disappointed, obviously, because it’s our 30th anniversary. You are always dependent on the weather and sometimes it doesn’t work in your favour. It certainly hasn’t this year,” said Bush, SnoFest committee secretary.

This is not the first time that sled dog races have been cancelled because of weather, Bush said.

“But we’re happy to be able to continue with all the other scheduled events and we hope people come out this weekend and participate in what we have to offer here.”

Sled dog races were scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday.

Bush said the decision to cancel all races was made Wednesday night after the trail groomers and the race marshal went on the trails and determined it was just too icy.

“The trails have been groomed twice and yet there is still too much ice on the trails for the dogs…there is ice on top of the snow because of the freezing rain we had recently and there is ice underneath the snow.”

Bush said a few mushers even went on the trails “and they told us they would not subject their dogs to this kind of icy conditions.”

The weather forecast for today – which called for lots of snow – would not have helped the situation either, Bush said.

“They are forecasting ice pellets with the snow and that’s only going to make it worse,” she said. “Besides, our village sometimes doesn’t get the snow that Belleville does.”

The decision to cancel has also had to be made early so that the news media and mushers can be contacted prior to coming here either late Friday or early Saturday morning.

Bush said the races won’t be rescheduled for another weekend this winter.

“We’re just hoping for better things next year,” she said.

Source: The Intelligencer