TERMS AND CONDITIONS

(Updated: March 15, 2023)

The terms, conditions, services, benefits, prices, policies and procedures of an STR membership and plan are subject to change at any time. Should changes need to be made mid season, STR will strive to notify all active members of the updates via their email on file.

 

SNOWMOBILE TRAILSIDE RESCUE MEMBERSHIP

“Snowmobile Trailside Rescue” will be referred to as “STR” from here on out.

STR members (those who hold an active STR Membership for a given season) will be referred to as “you/your” from here on out.

These Terms and Conditions describe the Membership services available to you as an STR Member (here after referred to as a “Membership”). Your Membership is subject to the terms, conditions and restrictions outlined below. Please retain a current copy of these Terms and Conditions for your own records as they form part of your membership contract.

 

SERVICE PROVIDERS

STR will dispatch and send to you an Authorized Member Service Provider (here after referred to as “Service Provider”) to answer your service call. These Service Providers will have identification which will identify them as an authorized STR Service Provider including but not limited to identification cards, markings on the vehicles, and/or clothing. If you are ever in doubt about a person claiming to be an STR Service Provider, please call 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435) and ask for a “Service Provider Identity Confirmation”.

 

SERVICE CALLS

Your Membership entitles you to certain Trailside Assistance Services (here after referred to as “Service Call(s)”). Unless stated otherwise in these Terms and Conditions, all towing, battery boost, fuel delivery, minor trailside repairs, recovery or winching services mentioned in this document and rendered by our independent Service Providers that we will send to assist you are each counted as a Service Call. You may ask for additional services from the Service Provider which are not covered by your Membership. However, all additional services requested from the Service Provider will be a separate agreement between you and the Service Provider and the fees related to this separate agreement will be your sole responsibility.

 

VEHICLES COVERED BY THE MEMBERSHIP

STR only provides services for Motorized Snow Vehicles as described by the “Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44”. These services are not provided to an ATV, UTV, Argo or any other vehicle which does not have a pink Motorized Snow Vehicle registration slip.

The Motorized Snow Vehicles covered by the Membership must legally comply with the “Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44”. This means the vehicles are plated with a current validation tag, have valid insurance, and have a valid O.F.S.C trail pass permanently affixed to the vehicle. The vehicle will also need to be registered to your Membership in order to be eligible under the plan. The vehicle registration and proof of insurance needs to be present at the time of the service call. If at any time you change your vehicle and/or licence plate information, please contact us to update your Membership information at 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435) or send an email to inquiries@snowtrailrescue.ca (when sending emails, do not consider the information received by STR unless you receive a reply confirming the update information was received).

The STR Memberships are Vehicle Service Memberships and will provide service to the specific vehicle(s) registered under your Membership and to the driver and/or passenger of that vehicle at the time of a Service Call. If you have multiple vehicles in the same household in which you would like to have covered by the membership, you may qualify for additional discounts on the membership fee. Please contact STR at 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435) or send an email to inquiries@snowtrailrescue.ca for further details. In order to qualify for discounts for multiple vehicles in the same household, proof will be required in the form of a scan/picture of the vehicle registrations sent to STR to show the same address (In this scenario, the names on the different registrations do not need to be the same, just the address). For Discounts on multiple memberships of direct family members not living at the same address, please contact STR directly.

Vehicles covered under the BASIC and PREMIUM membership plans do NOT cover any vehicle used for commercial purposes such as trappers, rental companies, racing, and other commercial uses. There is a corporate membership available for vehicles used for commercial purposes. Please contact STR at 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435) or send an email to inquiries@snowtrailrescue.ca for further details.

 

NON-TRANSFERABLE MEBERSHIP EXCEPTIONS

STR Memberships are NON-TRANSFERABLE except under certain conditions. For example, you can not just swap the membership back and forth between multiple vehicles throughout the season for your convenience. However, if you purchase a new vehicle and wish to transfer your membership to that new vehicle in place of the original vehicle, or if you sell the vehicle covered by the membership and wish to transfer the membership to another vehicle you just purchased or already owned, additional documentation will be required. This additional documentation will be requested as proof of a recent ownership switch. The additional information that will be requested could include but not limited to the proof of a purchased or sold vehicle, (bill of sales) along with copies of the ownerships of both the original and new vehicles to show the same name and address on both vehicles. This information will not be saved, only reviewed to confirm the legitimate change of vehicle. You may need to gather this proof before the sale of your vehicle covered by the membership before the ownership is rendered to the new owner.

If you wish to transfer your membership to a different vehicle as described above, there will be a $20 administration fee. Please contact STR at 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435) during business hours or send an email to inquiries@snowtrailrescue.ca. The benefits of the Membership on the new vehicle will not be available until the Membership becomes active 72 hrs after the transfer payment and documentation are received and approved.  The benefits of the membership on the new vehicle will not be provided if fraudulent behaviour is suspected that a membership was solely transferred after an incident occurred. Service calls are only offered to incidents which occur after the membership has been activated 72 hr after the transfer. (Example: A member with a vehicle not covered by a Membership decides to transfer their membership to their other vehicle that recently broke and then waits the 72 hrs and then places the call for service for the incident which occurred prior to the transfer. In this fraudulent case, the member will not be afforded the benefits of the Membership on the new vehicle since fraudulent activity is suspected. Fraudulent activities will NOT be tolerated. The Service Provider will use their discretion to determine if any fraudulent behavior is presented.)

 

DATES SERVICE IS OFFERED

STR is NOT authorized to break any laws and therefore will only operate on OPEN O.F.S.C trails as indicated by O.F.S.C. Due to this limitation, services will only be rendered when there are enough trails open to make traveling to you legal and safe. Trails open each season at different times due to weather and grooming efforts. STR will begin offering services on December 30th, and end on April 30th. If the trails are open prior to December 30th, STR, at their own discretion, may choose to begin offering service sooner if the resources are available. If trails are not yet open as of Dec 30th, the service will be delayed until sufficient snowfall and grooming has occurred to open the trails. When the trails close at the end of the season, the service will no longer be offered even if this occurs before April 30th.

 

AREA COVERAGE

It is the intention of STR to expand and offer services on all O.F.S.C trails in the years to come. In the early years of the business, the area where services are available will be limited based on the availability of Authorized Service Providers in the area. As STR makes agreements with new Service Providers, the areas will grow. If for any reason a Service Provider is no longer able to be a Service Provider in a certain area, all effort will be made to find another Service provider in their place. If finding a qualified replacement Service Provider fails, the area may need to be closed without advanced notice, or the area may be left open but with longer wait times as Service Providers will need to travel from other areas. The area is subject to grow or shrink as deemed necessary at any point of the year. It is the duty of the member to understand the current area coverage. The current coverage will be posted on the STR website at www.snowtrailrescue.ca.

 

WAIT TIMES

Due to the nature off-road recovery, wait times will vary significantly based on road distance and trail distance needed to travel to your location. STR will dispatch the Service Provider immediately upon receiving your call. The Service Provider will do their best to send their rescue team right away. However, if there have been several Service Calls dispatched in around the same time and all rescue teams in the area are busy, the teams will be notified to work as fast as possible on their current call to get to you as soon as possible. Unfortunately, STR cannot guarantee a maximum wait time, but will guarantee that all effort will be put towards rescuing you out of the cold as quickly as possible.

 

DRIVERS

At the time of a service call, the driver of the Motorized Snow Vehicle must legally comply with the “Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44” wherein they have a valid driver’s licence/Snow Vehicle Operator’s Licence for operating that vehicle on the O.F.S.C trails. The licence can not be suspended or expired and will be asked to be presented at the time of the service call for reporting purposes. The driver is to not be impaired by alcohol or other drugs. If a Service Provider suspects the driver is impaired in anyway, it will be their obligation to alert the proper authorities. The driver must follow all other legal obligations to operate a Motorized Snow Vehicle in Ontario.

 

PASSENGERS

STR memberships will cover the rescuing of one rider (the driver). If there is a passenger present on the vehicle, this information needs to be clearly communicated at the time the service call is placed. Please note, the Service Provider may be limited in the ability to rescue more than one rider at a time. STR will only service the driver on single seat vehicles and will do their best to accommodate up to one additional passenger granted the vehicle is a two-up vehicle. Additional effort offered by the Service Provider to rescue more than the prescribed persons listed above will be at the additional expense of the people involved and an agreement needs to be worked out with the Service Provider.

 

DISCRIMINATION

STR does NOT discriminate offering service to any individuals based on Age, Gender, Race or Ethnicity, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Language or Religious Beliefs. However, some limitation may arise due to certain scenarios. Some examples are, but not limited to, the person’s age must be old enough that they hold a valid operator’s permit to drive the vehicle. The language used by STR is English and the member must be able to communicate clearly with the Service Provider in order to ensure a proper understanding. The person being transported by any of the Service Providers must comply with the size and weight restrictions of the vehicle used to transport them (for example, STR can NOT mandate the Service Providers overload their recovery vehicle’s safe operating load limits if a person is in excess of size or weight.) If you feel that you have been discriminated against by any of the Service Providers, please contact STR immediately to report the incident. All STR Service Providers are to make all reasonable effort to accommodate where possible.

 

HELMETS

The driver and all passengers needing to be picked up and brought to safety must have their own properly fitting D.O.T approved helmet. STR does NOT authorize any of it’s Service Providers to transport passengers who do not wear a D.O.T approved snowmobile helmet as described in the “Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44”. The Service Providers will not provide helmets due to sizing variances and health concerns.

 

SERVICE UNDER SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS

When severe weather conditions prevail, service arrival times may be delayed because of heavy demand for trailside assistance or due to highway closures/delays. Under these conditions, towing service may be limited to the nearest repair facility or to the nearest safe location. In these extreme conditions, if the service provider states they are unable to bring you to your desired location due to other riders stranded in the cold needing immediate attention, or due to unsafe road conditions, all effort will be made to finish your tow at the first available opportunity. We put priority on getting people back to safety first and towing the vehicle second.

 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

STR strives to provide the finest trailside assistance through our network of Service Providers. However, since these Service Providers are independently owned and operated, STR does NOT assume liability for any loss or damage to a member’s vehicle or personal property, for loss of time or inconvenience, for rental or replacement of vehicle, for personal injury or any other special, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, howsoever caused. The Service Provider is to take all possible precautions to avoid any further damage or injury while recovering the rider and the vehicle. If any damage or injury has occurred to your vehicle or your persons as a result of a Service Provider, please contact that Service Provider directly. Any such loss or damage should be reported immediately to the proprietor of the facility that rendered the service and/or to your insurance company before any necessary repairs are carried out. After speaking with the Service Provider, if you require further assistance, please call 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435). STR assumes no liability if you engage in fraudulent or unauthorized use of the services or engage in illegal behaviour.

 

INJURY

STR does NOT in anyway claim to be an emergency response team with any formal training in CPR or other life saving skills. STR simply sends a Service Provider to bring people back to a safe warm place, and to tow the vehicle as needed. If any injuries requiring medical attention have occurred, the first call should be made to 911 to dispatch trained medical rescue teams. STR can then later be called to pick up the uninjured persons and/or the vehicles.

 

WINCHING/RECOVERY SERVICE

STR will work with our network of Service Providers to arrange winching/recovery service. The Service Provider will attempt to winch/recover your vehicle from any stuck location, provided it has become stuck in an area immediately adjacent (about 30 feet) to an open O.F.S.C trail and can be safely reached with the snowmobile recovery equipment. STR or it’s Service Providers will not attempt to recover vehicles which were purposefully traveling off the groomed trail, or on closed trails at the time of the incident. The Service Providers are not obligated to travel on private land, on closed trails, or cross rivers that may be deemed unsafe for the weight of the recovery equipment.

 

TOWING SERVICE

STR will work with our network of Service Providers to arrange for a towing service. The Service Provider will tow your Motorized Snow Vehicle to any destination of your choice located within the distance limits established in the plan selected. This towing distance will be a combination of trail towing and on road towing. Any towing distance needed in excess of the limits established in the plan will be the responsibility of the member to reimburse the Service Provider at the rate determined by the Service Provider and agreed upon by the member in advance of the service being performed. The Service Providers are not obligated to travel on private land, on closed trails, or cross rivers that may be deemed unsafe for the weight of the recovery equipment.

 

ACCIDENT TOWING

STR will work with our network of Service Providers to arrange accident towing service. The Service Provider will tow your vehicle from an accident scene to any destination of your choice within the distance limits established in the plan selected. This towing distance will be a combination of trail towing and on road towing. Any towing distance needed in excess of the limits established in the plan will be the responsibility of the member to reimburse the Service Provider at the rate determined by the Service Provider and agreed upon by the member in advance of the service being performed. The Service Providers are not obligated to travel on private land, on closed trails, or cross rivers that may be deemed unsafe for the weight of the recovery equipment.  Your Membership does not include any costs that may be associated with the clean-up of an accident, storage/impound fees and/or any additional fee charged by a Service Provider if the Service Provider is delayed in performing the service at the scene of an accident. If any additional fee will apply, the Service Provider will advise the member before the service is performed and the member will be asked to authorize and pay the additional charges. Any additional charges once authorized, are the responsibility of the member.

 

BATTERY BOOST SERVICE

STR will work with our network of Service Providers to arrange battery boost service. The Service Provider will attempt to re-start your vehicle by boosting the vehicle’s battery. If the vehicle will not start, a tow will be provided to any destination of your choice within the distance limits established in the plan selected and in accordance with the terms set out in the Towing section.

 

FUEL DELIVERY SERVICE

STR will work with our network of Service Providers to arrange delivery of an emergency supply of fuel. The delivery of the fuel is covered by the membership, however, the cost for the fuel itself is the responsibility of the member to pay the Service Provider. All effort will be taken to ensure the proper grade of fuel required for your vehicle is delivered. However, due to limitations and supply, the correct grade of fuel may be unavailable. In the event that fuel can not be brought to you, or if the correct grade of fuel is unavailable, the Service Provider will tow you to the nearest available fuel station within the distance limits established in the plan selected and in accordance with the terms set out in the Towing section. If the member requests a lower grade fuel than what is carried by the Service Provider, the member will be required to pay for the grade of fuel that is delivered.

 

MINOR TRAILSIDE REPAIRS

STR will work with our network of Service Providers to arrange for minor trailside repairs such as changing a drive belt, spark plugs or light bulbs granted the member has the spare components with them. This service is to get the member back to riding sooner than if a tow is needed to go to a repair shop. If the spare components needed are not present at the time of the call, or the spare components do not resolve the drivability issue and the repairs can not be performed, a tow will be provided to any destination of your choice within the distance limits established in the plan selected and in accordance with the terms set out in the Towing section. These calls should only be for minor repairs which have rendered the vehicle not drivable while on the O.F.S.C trails and can easily be performed on the trail with minimal tools. STR has the right to refuse performing trailside repairs if they feel it does not constitute a minor repair which has currently left the member stranded.

Any request from the member to have the Service Provider locate and purchase spare parts and bring them to their location for repairs will be an agreement between the Service Provider and the member, not with STR. These requests should only be for minor repairs which have rendered the vehicle not drivable while on the O.F.S.C trails and can easily be performed on the trail with minimal tools. (Examples of this would be if all headlight bulbs are not functioning during the night time due to being burnt out and simply changing the bulbs would allow the member to continue riding after repaired. If the headlights do not work due to a more complex electrical problem, the vehicle will simply be towed to have the repairs done by a repair shop.) The Service Provider and member will need to work out and agree upon an arrangement for pricing prior to any of these services being performed.

 

WATER RECOVERY

STR does NOT cover any recovery efforts for vehicles which have gone through the ice on lakes and rivers. Whether partially or completely submerged. The Service Provider in your area may offer this service at the full expense to the member. STR does NOT authorize its Service Providers to endanger themselves to go out on thin ice, or unknown thickness of ice. If the Service Provider chooses to take the risk on their own accord, it is at their own risk and liability.

 

ACTIVATION PERIOD

There will be a 72 hrs activation period from the time the membership is purchased, until the membership becomes active. This time is to allow the processing time for the member information and for the membership card to be sent to the member by email. This is also to avoid people purchasing a membership only after an incident has occurred. Service Calls are only offered to incidents which occur after the membership has been activated 72 hrs after purchase. Any Service Calls where it would appear the incident happened before purchasing the membership, and then waited until the 72 hrs activation period had ended before making the call, will be voided and not covered by STR. The Service Provider will bill for these services directly.

 

SERVICES NOT COVERED

STR is devoted to rescuing stranded snowmobilers from the O.F.S.C trails by following all applicable laws. Because the STR Membership is specifically designed for people who get stranded, it does not cover other typical calls for which are just for convenience. However, our Service Providers can assist with offering these services for an additional fee.

WE DO NOT:

  • Tow your vehicle from a repair facility, or from your home. Service calls are only for issues which originate on the O.F.S.C trails where the rider is left stranded out of reach from roads and/or shelter. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Provide tows for vehicles which appear to be in full working order. (ie: STR is not a taxi service to get you and your vehicle home because you stayed out too late and/or are now intoxicated and don’t want to ride home in the dark). However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Provide a second or additional tow on the same Service Call. For example, we do not tow your vehicle from one repair facility to another, or tow your vehicle home, then tow it to a repair facility at a later date. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Provide towing or trailside assistance services where prohibited. All laws must be able to be followed for the Service Provider to respond to a call.
  • Provide services to a vehicle that has been driven into an area that is inaccessible to the service vehicle, is not a regularly travelled and maintained by the O.F.S.C. STR will also not respond to service calls where travel on closed trails is required. If the Service Provider can not legally travel to your location, the call will not be able to be answered.
  • Pay for the cost of any installed parts, labour, supplies or materials except where the labour is deemed a Minor Trailside Repair as outlined in these terms.
  • Transport you to your disabled vehicle or any destination after emergency service has been provided. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Pay for the cost of any incidental expenses such as accommodation, meals, vehicle rentals, etc. as a result of your vehicle’s breakdown.
  • Pay for repairs, or tows for other vehicles involved in a collision which results from an at fault accident of a member. Only the vehicles with the memberships will be covered for the services as described in the plan. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost. Your snowmobile insurance may also cover the tow/recovery from our Service Provider if a claim is going to be opened for the accident.
  • Provide service to any vehicle other than a Motorized Snow Vehicle, to any vehicle used for competition, unlicensed vehicles and impounded or theft-recovered vehicles. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Tow any form of cutter, sleigh, or other device pulled behind a Motorized Snow Vehicle. The Service Provider may offer additional service at an additional cost for such items which have a solid hitch/tongue and are legal as per the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44.
  • Tow a vehicle to or from a scrap yard.
  • Recover any vehicle which has gone through ice whether partially or completely submerged.
  • Provide repeated Service Calls for a vehicle that needs routine maintenance or repairs.
  • Provide service to an unattended vehicle. A licenced driver must be present when service is being rendered for legal reasons. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Provide service if it is suspected that a membership was solely purchased after an incident occurred. Service calls are only offered to incidents which occur after the membership has been activated 72 hrs after purchasing. However, our Service Providers can offer this service for an additional cost.
  • Provide a slow battery charging at trailside or cover the cost later of slow battery charging.
  • Cover the cost of additional towing mileage, storage/impound fees and any other incidental charges which are over and above the limitations established in the Plan selected.

 

UPGRADE PLAN

At any point, if you wish to upgrade your membership plan from the Basic Membership to the Premium Membership, you may do so by paying the difference in pricing at the time of the upgrade plus an Additional $10 administration fee. Please contact STR at 1-844-STR-4-HELP (1-844-787-4435) during business hours or send an email to inquiries@snowtrailrescue.ca. The additional benefits of the Premium Membership will not be available until the Premium Membership becomes active 72 hrs after the upgrade payment is received.  The additional benefits will not be provided if fraudulent behaviour is suspected that a membership was solely upgraded after an incident occurred. Service calls are only offered to incidents which occur after the membership has been activated 72 hrs after upgrading. (Example: A member with the Basic Membership requires a service call but knows this will use up the only service call available on their Basic plan with the lower mileage coverage. Therefore, the member chooses to upgrade to the Premium Membership which has multiple calls available and more mileage, and waits the 72 hrs and then places the call for service for the incident which occurred prior to the upgrade. In this fraudulent case, the member will not be afforded the benefits of the Premium Membership and will be treated as though the Basic Membership is still active, which will cover that Service Call but voiding any further service calls on that Premium Membership. Fraudulent activities will NOT be tolerated. The Service Provider will use their discretion to determine if any fraudulent behavior is presented.)

 

 FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY

In any of the services outlined above, if fraudulent, criminal, or malicious activity is suspected, STR retains the rights to pursue appropriate legal action including refusing to render the service set forth in the terms and conditions, suspending or voiding the Membership, charging for the expenses incurred by the Service Provider and contacting the appropriate legal authorities.

 

REFERRAL PROGRAM

For each STR membership purchased as a result of a referral from an existing member, the person purchasing the membership is to provide the full name or membership number of the person who referred them. The member who did the referring will receive a credit, for each referral which results in a sale, that can be use towards their membership for the following season. The credit will be in the amount of $10 for each Basic membership, and $15 for each PREMIUM membership sold as a result of their referral. (Note: This credit can only be applied to future membership purchases for the referrer, and can not be refunded in the form of cash should the member not purchase additional memberships in the future). As an alternative bonus, if the member reaches 5 referrals, they will receive a FREE membership for the following season. The free membership will be equal to the memberships purchased based on the referral. For Example: A member who refers and results in 5 PREMIUM membership sales will receive a Free PREMIUM membership for the following season, and a member who refers and results in 5 BASIC membership sales will receive a Free BASIC membership for the following season. If the member who earns a free BASIC membership wishes to upgrade to a PREMIUM membership, they can do so by paying the current difference in price between the two memberships, plus the HST on that amount.