As British Columbia starts to crack down on off-road vehicle use, it becomes more important than ever for ATVers in the province to have a unified voice. That’s one of the main reasons why Brian Deacon, an avid rider from Terrace, formed the Terrace ATV & SxS Society.
“We’re not out there to destroy things,” said Deacon, who is quick to clear up any misconceptions some may have about the sport. “We are out there to enjoy nature and to preserve it for our little ones.”
According to Deacon, the area has an endless supply of backcountry terrain, and he wants the area to have more trails that are mapped out and signed.
“There aren’t many trails that are officially marked for ATVing,” said Deacon, “but you could ride every day for a year and never ride the same spot twice.”
He said there are seemingly endless old forestry roads around Terrace and that the scenery is second to none.
“You can get on top of a mountain and see for miles,” said Deacon. “It’s just amazing. You get no better scenery anywhere else, as far as I am concerned.”
With the help of about 15 riders, the Terrace ATV & SxS Society was officially formed and registered with ATV/BC on June 26, 2014. New members enjoyed several rides throughout the summer—one that took them to the ghost town of Doreen between Terrace and Smithers.
Family friendly riding
For Deacon, ATVing has always been about spending time with family and friends.
“It’s just fun for everybody,” he said. “We go out on a ride and nobody’s in a big hurry so we just enjoy it.”
His interest in the sport began two years ago, when his now four-year-old daughter, Kalila, got her first ATV.
“I got her a little quad to ride around on the property,” said Deacon, “and then I got tired of running after her so I bought one so that I could ride with her and it just progressed from there.”
Now each member of the Deacon family has a quad, and they ride together just about every weekend.
“It’s our family day,” he said.
Although the Terrace ATV & SxS Society is still in its infancy, Deacon is optimistic that the upcoming riding season will be a good one for the club.
“I’ve already been working with (local forestry officials) and have had excellent communications with them,” he said. “They are more than willing to help us do whatever we need to do to open up trails and try to get funding for them.”
For more information about the Terrace ATV & SxS Society, contact Brian Deacon at 250-615-2415 or Dave Reinhart at 250-635-5934. The club also has a Facebook group.