Sturgis North 2013 - Will you support it?

In articles that have appeared in the Vernon Morning Star, it has been reported by Joan Hansen, the new president - former vice president - of Sturgis North All Makes Motorcycle Rally and Chief Judy Wilson of the Neskonlith Indian Band, Chase BC, that Sturgis North is moving to the band property just outside of Chase and will be held in August as opposed to July for 2013.

According to the one article, Hansen states that they lost a lot of people to water - by that she means lakes, rivers etc. and hence the move to Chase, where the event can have some water front.

Also according to the one article, Ray Sasseville will have nothing to do with Sturgis North 2013.

What exactly does that mean?
Has he somehow given up his position as CEO?
Is he still the owner but backing off of having anything to do with the operations?

I had already promised myself,  during the week of Sturgis North 2012, that Belt Drive Betty Media would never support this event as a sponsor again, as long as any of the original management/staff were part of it.

I have in my possession a Corporate Registries Search done on Sturgis North Promotions/Sturgis North Entertainment Inc. As of September 17, 2012, Mr. Sasseville is the only director listed.

Ms. Hansen could be running under a different company, entirely possible. I have no way of knowing at this time, but as time allows I will keep looking for the information I seek.

I need to know if somehow this man has truly stepped away completely from this event.
His stepping aside would not affect my decision to not sponsor or support this event.
BUT - My natural curiosity has to be satisfied.

Well - folks I guess I just stumbled across my answer:

In stating that Ray has nothing to do with the 2013 event, are we to assume that this is new management/ownership? 

I wonder - a lot.

All I know about Joan Hansen, right now, is the dealings I have had with her in the past as pertains to Sturgis North 2011 and 12, that she is a non rider and a real estate agent. I am in possession of a series of emails from Joan between March and June of 2012, where in she electronically signs herself as CFO & MANAGING PARTNER.
The fact that she is involved in Sturgis North 2013 means I will not support or sponsor this event, as she is part of the original team.

In doing research on Ray Sasseville, after the events surrounding Sturgis North 2011 & 12, I learned from Bob Newcombe of the Vernon Motoplex, that the Motoplex paid a substantial amount of the debt from Sturgis North 2012 and not as an investor if I understand him correctly.  (I am waiting to speak with Bob on Saturday to discuss the situation with regards to the event moving to Chase.)

I learned that the BC Liquor Board is who put the sanctions on the beer gardens at Sturgis North 2012 because of Raymond Sasseville and their previous dealings with him.

I learned from news articles in the Salmon Arm Observer, the Vernon Morning Star and other public records that Sturgis North 2011, left between $200 and $450,000 in debt in the Salmon Arm region.
Just search these two publications.

I learned via the rumour mill that Ray was looking to take the event to Sturgis Saskatchewan and I spoke to the mayor there who confirmed that Ray had in fact spoken to them but that after having spoken to people in Salmon Arm, the council had declined the offer to host the event.


Almost all of what I have learned is in the public domain and much of it is compiled here in this blog post, but you can find out more by asking questions of the people of Salmon Arm or Google Searching Ray's name or that of Sturgis North.

Much of what I found begins in 1993 with a company called Intelligent Vehicle Systems Inc. and another called Auto Watch International Ltd., Auto Watch Group Inc. BC Securities Commission, Raymond Michael Roger Sasseville, Triple Nickle Holdings, Wireless Wizard Technologies Inc.,  and there is a whole lot more.

If you search the companies listed above, you will find information on the financial doings, the partners and investors, the directors...

I know that there is a lawsuit in Arizona against Raymond Sasseville of the same address that appears as the address for other companies, websites and trademarks, and it involves some of the companies listed above. Sturgis North Promotions is listed as a defendant.

I know that the BC Securities Commission levied a $10,000 fine against him.
Here is the first of two PDF Documents pertaining to the case:
http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/comdoc.nsf/c699e287051ac68d88256ee5005be4a5/5e38007a772a6f0888256d10007c3011/$FILE/2003%20BCSECCOM%20267.pdf

Here is the second of two PDF Documents pertaining to the case: http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/comdoc.nsf/65de6f2d8e4d9b50872568ac0070c25c/5e38007a772a6f0888256d10007c3011/$FILE/2003%20BCSECCOM%20268.pdf


In doing trademark searches, I discovered that Raymond Sasseville is still the claimant of the Sturgis North trademark, the Sturgis North Pub trademark  (Incidentally the Sturgis North Pub - formerly the Old Dog Pub in Salmon Arm has shut down - at least it was closed when I was there this summer.)  And the Sturgis North & Design (Not registered)  Sturgis North Salmon Arm was abandoned as a trademark by Ray. Sturgis Canada has not been registered but is claimed by Ray.

Thumper Records is another trademark that Raymond Sasseville is the claimant of and is in keeping with the article in the Vernon Morning Star in which Ms. Hansen says Ray will be pursuing his Record Label.

As I said earlier, I have my personal reasons for not supporting this event in anyway as long as any members of the original show management/ownership have anything to do with it.

If you are approached for sponsorship, support, vendors booths or admission tickets, I urge only one thing - inform and educate yourself about who everyone is that is at the table, learn about them and make your own decisions from there.  It's called due diligence.

I welcome your thoughts and comments about Sturgis North 2013.

Will you support it?
If so why...if not why....

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via email.

Have a fabulous weekend
Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider



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I am grateful the election in the US of A is over...

To my American friends, last night you elected a president.

Some are very happy that Barack Obama has another term, others are bitterly disappointed and some are scared.

It's a hard thing to be on the side that is defeated and so I ask my friends who are democrats to go easy on those who are republican this morning. Remember what defeat feels like so that you can be gracious in victory.

Like it or not, cheer it or dread it, Barack Obama is president of your country for another 4 years.

I wish you all the best as our allies and largest trading partner, the United States of America is important to we Canadians.

And I for one am glad you have chosen a president, I am glad that a record number of voters got out and exercised the fundamental obligation of voting.

I am so very glad that now the attack ads stop. The one thing I like least about American politics is how divisive those ads are. We here in Canada aren't much better either.


Regardless of which side of the political landscape you are on, if I call you friend, know this - I call you friend in spite of your politics.

I hope for the people of the United States of America that you can find a way to unite the way your country's name suggests you will.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider