A Message From the Board

 

Thank you to many of you for reaching out to share your concerns and support about the NSMBA’s recent communications and the broader challenges surrounding trail building on the North Shore. Your voice is invaluable to us, and we deeply appreciate (and share) your commitment to the trails and the community they support.

We’re Sorry

We messed up and we’re sorry. We didn’t communicate this news appropriately and it’s clear that we’ve left some of you feeling alienated and unsupported by the organization that’s meant to represent you. It was never our intention to disrespect or diminish the efforts of any community members, especially those who have dedicated countless hours of work to the trails on the North Shore. We also acknowledge that the tone of our initial communication does not accurately reflect how we feel about our community and that our further comments made in the media do not accurately reflect the organization’s position. 

Where We Stand

We’d like to clarify the NSMBA’s position on key issues: 

  • We’re disappointed by the loss of these trails and would have preferred to see them incorporated into the sanctioned network. We lobbied the landowner extensively to do so, without success. 
  • We do not support unsanctioned trail building. We have made progress getting new trails built and old trails sanctioned by building positive relationships with our land managers. Building new unsanctioned trails does not support this effort and creates conflict with our land managers. You can read our official policy on unsanctioned trails here
  • We do not endorse enforcement or punishment of any kind for riding or building unsanctioned trails. 
  • While our trails are used by many outdoor enthusiasts, we’re a mountain bike organization and we’re focused on building and maintaining trails for riding. 

Our Relationship With Land Managers

Overall we have very positive working relationships with our land managers. The jurisdictional management and geography on the North Shore is unique to the region, in that we have several different managers. On Mount Seymour alone we work with several entities including Metro Vancouver (LSCR), the District of North Vancouver, Recreation Sites and Trails BC, and BC Parks. Some of our trails cross through multiple land jurisdictions. All land managers are interested in working together, but there are varying philosophies and levels of interest for adding new trails and managing unsanctioned trails in their jurisdictions. 

Funding

The NSMBA works for our membership and only our membership. We receive funding from a number of sources, the majority of which is membership dues, sponsorship revenue and donations, which the organization has full discretion over. We also receive money from grants, which may have some restrictions on how they’re used or are variable in nature. Finally we have a fee for service agreement with the District of North Vancouver (Gov – Contracts in the chart), and we work collaboratively with them to maintain the trails on their land on Fromme. We believe that the model we’ve built with DNV would be beneficial with other landowners. 

Funding Sources from 2024 Financials

Going Forward

We understand that the trail approval process can feel slow and overly complex, and we share your frustrations. Advocacy for a more efficient and transparent process remains one of our key priorities. At the same time, we acknowledge and share the disappointment many feel regarding recent trail decommissioning. Our goal is to foster collaboration within the existing framework while pushing for meaningful improvements. 

We also hear your calls for more education, greater trail variety, and increased capacity to support our growing mountain biking community. These are critical issues that require collective effort. We are committed to working with our membership, volunteers, and the broader community to channel our shared passion into constructive, sustainable solutions that align with land manager requirements.

We have a number of positive trail projects in the works, and we’ll share more through 2025 as these plans are finalized. 

Your Voice Matters

Thank you for your feedback and for holding us accountable. We also appreciated the support expressed via emails to the organization and in discussions online. It is through open dialogue and constructive input that we can grow and better serve our community. We look forward to working together toward a sustainable and vibrant future for the trails we all love.

We welcome further feedback and can be reached via directors@nsmba.ca and staff@nsmba.ca