Elk Valley Adventure and Dirt Riders Society

The Elk Valley Adventure and Dirt Riders Society (EVADRS) was founded in August 2019 and incorporated as a BC non-profit society in March 2020, based in Fernie.

EVADRS advocates for and practices responsible trail and backroad usage in order to support the growth and sustainability of off-road dirt biking and adventure riding in the Elk Valley. Its goals are to develop and maintain safe and sustainable recreational riding while supporting inclusive relationships and partnerships with all stakeholders and in accordance with the Trails Strategy for BC.

A primary objective of EVADRS was to obtain a partnership agreement with Recreation Sites and Trails BC for the Dorr/Grasmere Motorized Trail Network, 60+ km of family friendly singletrack at Koocanusa. This partnership was granted and signed in October 2022, providing EVADRS with a five-year custodianship of the newly sanctioned singletrack trail network. The task ahead is to educate users that the “free for all” days are over and designated trails now have proper signage and are maintained as frequently as possible.

Acquiring grant funding is critical to finance the remediation of environmental damage and protection of sensitive areas. EVADRS was recently awarded $11,200 from Yamaha Financial Services Stay Outdoors project which will go towards this.

The adventure riding portion of EVADRS highlights the network of world class backroads/forest service roads accessing stunning natural scenery, local attractions and Recreation Sites. EVADRS will continue to advocate for land use and keeping access to the backroads open while promoting the opportunity in our community for the potential income generation from these visitors who require all the tourism services Fernie offers - hotels, restaurants, bars and shops.

The “Elk Valley Great Escape” is the first EVADRS annual adventure weekend being held in Fernie September 8-10, 2023 with riders coming from as far away as Ontario and offering a great opportunity for local businesses to be involved.

Sponsors, members and donations are essential leverage when applying for grant funding to continue to promote and maintain the sustainability of our growing sport in the area. EVADRS is now offering three tier sponsorship packages starting from $100.

 “I enjoy all of the trails Fernie has to offer - dirt bike, mountain bike, hiking, skiing. We were going to lose the motorized singletrack trails at Koocanusa so I founded the Society so we could team up with RSTBC to help create a sustainable motorized trail network. Our amazing directors and volunteers have already achieved so much with the help of KRSC, RSTBC. Getting to know and work with other stakeholders in the area has been a rewarding experience, we are proud to demonstrate that all stakeholders can work together to benefit the community,” said Stephen Roy, EVADRS.