By Devin Wilger
N-R Writer
The Canadian Counsil of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) has recognized one of Yorkton’s own. Rick Bilous was awarded the CCSO Excellence Award for Outstanding Snowmobiler.
While he is the recipient of the award, Bilous says that it’s really about the entire Sno-Riders club that deserves credit. He says that to do everything the Sno-Riders do you need a number of volunteers, and he’s just one piece of the larger puzzle that get everything accomplished.
“Our snowmobile club... they’re all volunteers, and we all participate equally in this respect. It’s just nice that someone from our area got recognized, and I was lucky enough to be the guy to get the award,” Bilous says.
“I am very appreciative of the award, but all our members participate in the award, it wouldn’t be right for me to carry the whole award on my shoulders.”
The base of volunteers that supports the sport, both in Yorkton and around the province with the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, are what make the sport as great, Bilous says, and this is an opportunity to recognize the work they do.
“Nobody realizes this but probably 95 per cent of everything that’s done is volunteers in the snowmobile industry. It’s great to have all of those volunteers working together to get things done.”
Bilous has been involved with snowmobiling in the region from the outset, before there was even a Sno-Riders club. He says that his involvement has been because he believes it’s a great sport.
“The people are the best part of the sport, you’ll always meet the best people on a snowmobile.”
He thanks Jason Popowich, President of the Yorkton Sno-Riders, for putting his name forward for the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association Diamonds in the Snow 2014 Snowmobiler of the Year award, which qualified him for national recognition.
The main hope Bilous has for the award is to raise the profile of the region as a snowmobiling destination, especially among people who might not have considered Yorkton to be a destination before.
“It’s great to be recognized on a national level. I’m sure a lot of people in the room don’t realize where Saskatchewan is, let alone Yorkton, and it will probably create interest in snowmobilers coming to this area and actually participating and riding on our trails.”
Going forward, Bilous wants the upcoming winter to be the same as all snowmobilers want, to have lots of snow and moderate temperatures.
“It’s a great winter pastime and I just want to be involved in it.”
