The Manitoulin Snowdusters snowmobile club has started work on clearing the trails around the island to get ready for the sledding season and, this year, part of one trail on the edge of Little Current is being named after fallen Ontario Provincial Police Const. Marc Hovingh.
Plenty of friends, colleagues and snowmobile enthusiasts who just admired Hovingh, came out to help clean up and prepare the snowmobile trail.
Hovingh was killed in the line of duty in 2020 while responding to a trespass complaint in Gore Bay.
The snowmobile group said the tribute to Hovingh "just made sense."
It also received support from Hovingh's widow and family.
"We are working on a re-route through Little Current. We've got a contractor on-site, E. Corbiere and son. Operator and owner Aaron Corbiere has made a large donation to the re-route that we have to put through Little Current," said the club's president, Dave Mack.
Mack, who also is a police officer for the UCCM Anishinaabe Police Service, said he knew Hovingh and has since met his family.
"I guess at the end of the day, one of the main reasons why we want to do this is, when you're out riding on the sled, relaxing and distressing, when you see the sign telling you it's Marc Hovingh's trail, then it's important for us to get the message out there," said Mack.
"It's about keeping his name alive. It's touching to me, being a police officer and working alongside Marc over the last 17 years, it's very special to me."
It's a similar feeling for OPP Sgt. Chris Wesley said he who also worked with Hovingh.
"This is a great tribute, I know Marc was an outdoorsman, fishing and sledding, hockey was a big sport for him too. I worked with Marc before he passed, personal feelings to me and I know it's going to be a great tribute to him and his family," said Wesley.
He said Hovingh will never be forgotten and believes this trail will be one more addition to his legacy.
"He was a big supporter in the OPP Youth Foundation as well and he was a huge advocate for safety for the youth in the community," Wesley said.
The group said it is hoping the trail will be ready soon, they're just waiting for mother nature and the added snow to finish the grooming.
The trail status will be posted to Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club's trail guide.
It's planning to have a dedication ceremony for the re-route, which is also located near the new OPP detachment in Little Current, sometime in the new year.
