Group forms to combat unsafe, illegal ATV use in province

Some people in the Sussex, N.B., area have started a group that they hope eventually spreads provincewide to stop unsafe and illegal ATV activities.

The group is called New Brunswick Safety and Property Rights Alliance, and has launched with around 12 members.

"I've noticed in recent years that there's been a real increase in, I don't know what else to call it, but just really bad behaviour on the part of ATV users," group president John Cushnie told Shift's Vanessa Vander Valk. "And I got talking to some other people, and I realized it's not just an issue that I've been having, but it's something a lot of people have concerns with, and no one seems to be addressing them."

Cushnie said people in the group have lots of examples.

"We have members who have faced everything from threats, verbal abuse, property damage, dealing with a lot of drunk drivers, people literally chugging a beer…to something as simple as walking on a trail or on the road, and wanting to feel safe," he said.

Cushnie couldn't point to a reason for what he believes is an increase in these problems.

The group's number one priority is education, he said.

"We've stopped ATV drivers, where you've had 10 people and not a single one of them knew they couldn't be driving on that road, for instance," said Cushnie. "We want to have a positive effect, and I think some of the simple steps are people can share their stories…We have a Facebook page, we want people to be able to write what experiences they've had."

Cushnie stressed that his group is not anti-ATV.

"I don't have anything in particular against ATV's, we're not here with some vendetta. I think we just want to be able to talk about this.

"It is the Picture Province. It shouldn't be a picture of a guy chugging a beer, doing a wheelie in front of your house."