Community members gather at new Hamlin shelter to celebrate it's grand opening. (Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

By Alyssa Rudolph

SNOWMOBILE CLUB

Trail Breakers mark new shelter opening with group ride

Jan 30, 2026 | 12:27 PM

The Battlefords Trail Breakers snowmobile club fired up their sleds to celebrate the grand opening for the completion of their newest warm-up shelter. 

The day kicked off with club members, local mayors, and councilors snapping on helmets, and heading out together on a group ride to the new Hamlin shelter. 

From left: Mayor of Battleford, Ames Leslie, Mayor of North Battleford, Kelli Hawtin, and Battleford councillor, Kevin Russel. (Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

One of the club’s directors said finishing a shelter is always a milestone worth celebrating, especially considering the effort behind it. 

“It takes a lot of volunteers and a lot of hard work to build these shelters, and you kind of become a big family together, working with people outside your work hours,” said Shane Draganuk.  

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The newly-opened shelter is hard to miss once you spot it. Designed to resemble a 1953 grain elevator, the structure sits north of the Battlefords along trail 101-B, tucked into a group of trees and surrounded by prairie fields. 

“If you look just to the south [of the shelter], it’s right in the heart of the new elevators that have been constructed,” said Draganuk. “So, it kind of matches the timeline and the scenery here.” 

What really sets the shelter apart, though, is the artifacts inside. 

“They are all things that I have collected over the years,” said Dale Charabin, the club’s ‘trail boss’. “We had an elevator in our yard at one time, so the man lift came from there. The beam scale was in our seed cleaning plant, and then the selector wheel for the bins, I bought from people that were demolishing elevators.” 

Dale Charabin trying out the man lift in the Hamlin shelter. (Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

The grand opening also came with a surprise for the club. The Battlefords Hotel Association presented the Trail Breakers with a $10,000 cheque, which Draganuk said will help fund trail maintenance and future shelter projects. 

From left, Sandy Singer, Shane Draganuk, Darin Manegre, and Kyle Kellgren. (Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

As part of the day’s ride, the group also stopped to warm up at another club shelter, the Sky-Tech Terminal. That’s where riders met Kevin, one of the club’s trail groomers. 

Kevin operating the trail groomer. (Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

Kevin said days behind the controls of the grooming machine can stretch up to 12 hours at a time, but the long shifts come with a reward. 

“It’s all worth it,” he said, noting the chance to take in Saskatchewan’s winter scenery from some of its most scenic trails. 

Next season, the club plans to hold a grand opening for its newest warm-up shelter, Maud’s Place. The brick-home-themed building is located on trail 101-G and, while still a work in progress, will be open for riders to use during the 2026 season. 

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com