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

Kill a biker, get a $399.91 fine and then FIGHT THE TICKET?

That's exactly what prominent business man Douglas Parker Rudderham intends to do according to an article in the Star.

Begin Quote:
On Sept. 14, Rudderham was driving his Cadillac Escalade in Sydney, N.S. around 4 p.m. when his vehicle collided with a motorcycle travelling in front of him.

The motorcycle driver, 67-year-old Jack MacDonald, was pronounced dead at the scene. End Quote

Mr. Rudderham rear ended the motorcycle that Mr. MacDonald was riding home after having gotten a hair cut. Mr. MacDonald was killed at an intersection that he had fought to have lights installed at to no avail.

Now, the 57 year old CEO of Quebec based Pharmacy Wholesale Services and owner of Coltsfoot Publishing plans to fight the ticket as he does not believe he was driving imprudently.

Begin Quote: Investigators ruled out criminal negligence in the collision, but police “still believe that (Rudderham) was responsible for the collision,” said Cape Breton Regional Police Service spokeswoman Desiree Vassallo.

He has been charged with failing to drive or operate a motor vehicle in a careful and prudent manner under the Motor Vehicle Act, she said. In addition to a fine, the charge carries a loss of six demerit points. End Quote

According to the article, “Mr. Rudderham believes in principle. He’s not the type of person who pleads (guilty) to something that he didn’t do just to get out of it,” Pink said. (Joel Pink is Mr. Rudderham's attorney.)

So, if in fact this prominent business man fights this ticket, it will send the case to trial.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this is a blessing in disguise for Nova Scotia riders - especially if the court room can be filled with riders.  There needs to be a message sent to the justice system of this country.

As tragic as it is that this man, this powerful businessman is going to fight a $399.91 ticket - perhaps, just perhaps there will be some other justice come out of this case. 

If we could fill the court room with riders and their families and send a clear message to the courts and this prominent businessman that driving too close, as appears to be the case here, is an offence and while not viewed as criminal negligence is still an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act.

We need clearer laws in this country when someone's "inattention" causes a death or serious harm and we will never get them unless the rider community gets together en masse at every court case like this one, and fills the court rooms.

Until WE as riders can unite and have our voice heard with one loud and clear message - IT IS NOT OK TO KILL A RIDER - the slaps on the wrist will continue.

Personally I feel that what Mr. Rudderham is about to do in fighting this ticket is morally wrong - it may be his right, but morally, the harm he is doing to this family is just adding insult to injury. 

I am calling on all riders in Cape Breton and the rest of Nova Scotia to PLEASE, PLEASE if you can swing it - fill up that court room and send a message - LOUD AND CLEAR - It is NOT OK to kill a rider and it is not OK to hurt a family in this way after the damage is done.

I would dearly love your feedback on how our justice system could fix the Motor Vehicle Act to better address situations like the one you just read about. Should there be mandatory jail time when a rider is killed because of the actions of another driver? Should there be mandatory compensation for the rider's family? What is the right way to deal with this type of scenario - one we see all too often?

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome here!

In Other news:

In Canada, the CPP - that's right, the Canadian Pension Plan, has investments in motorcycle racing - HMMM....

In Quebec, a HUGE drug bust went down and Larry Amero and a number of other members of the Hells Angels were scooped up.

In Great Britain, Prince Charles met with some of the Royal British Legion Riders and sat astride one of the riders motorcycle.

And in Russia - they have their first lady's motorcycle club!

There is a ton of other news in the feeds today that might affect your day or life as a rider, visit www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping You informed!

We have a couple of contests on the go...

We are sponsoring the BikerGeo contest and we are hosting one of our own...

Belt Drive Betty & Johhny Pag have a SECRET - you have until December 12th to guess what it is we are going to announce on December 13th....

Just log in - go to the contest page, submit your best guess, in fact submit as many guesses as you would like - the person OR persons who guess what the big SECRET is will win some cool swag from Johhny Pag and Belt Drive Betty!!!!

I leave you with a few funnies, shared by our friends from Facebook and emails to make your day a wee bit brighter...laughter really is an important part of life!

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Sad news out of Quebec + the era of the Bionic man?

There is news out of Drummondville QC that a badly decomposed body has been found just off of highway 55. According to the article in the Montreal Gazette:
"The body was found close to exit 88 in Richmond on the rural road and nearby was a smashed-up motorcycle, the SQ said. Investigators from the SQ were on site Tuesday to try to ascertain the circumstances of the death."

It is suspected that the remains are that of Erick Lachapelle, 35, who was last seen at 1 a.m. on July 19 leaving a bar in Windsor on his motorcycle. The bar is 20 kilometres away from where the remains were found.

I feel for his family and friends, but perhaps this mystery is now over and they will get some closure.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago will be testing it's ground breaking bionic leg Sunday when Zac Vawter attempts to climb 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers.

According to the article in the Ottawa Citizen, Zac Vawter considers himself a test pilot. After losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident, the 31-year-old software engineer signed up to become a research subject, helping to test a trail-blazing prosthetic leg that's controlled by his thoughts.

It will be a huge boon to those who loose limbs in crashes and through illness!

Now for something straight out of the bizarre files... a Saudi Sheikh is causing a huge controversy because he was caught riding on a motorcycle

Apparently there are those who think this Sheikh should not be riding on a motorcycle and are attempting to put that theory to the test by asking if the Koran would approve... Well, I am not sure how  the prophet Mohammed would have viewed this behaviour but I for one don't see it as an issue, but then again I don't live in Saudi Arabia..what are your thoughts?

I'd love to hear them!

There is a ton of news in the feeds today that just might affect your day or life as a rider, visit www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping You informed!

Today we kick off a special contest - Belt Drive Betty & Johnny Pag Motorcycles have a secret.

If you guess what that secret is you could win some wonderful swag from Johnny Pag and Belt Drive Betty!  It's a simple and easy contest - you just log in at www.beltdrivebetty.com and go to the contest page - type your guess into the comments box and wait until December 13th when we reveal our big secret and announce the winners of the swag!

We are also sponsoring the BikerGeo contest.

Lots of ways to grab your BDB Swag including buying it at our store: www.bdbstore.com 

It's Thursday, which means it is paper day!  The Busted Knuckle Chronicles is filled with wonderful articles from the CMDRA, travel stories and a special feature on a lady rider that intends to light the USA up with a passionate fire! Joan Krenning from Design Wraps Brands (Riders Wraps) has an incredible story to share! Read all about it in this weeks paper! If you don't get the Busted Knuckle Chronicles, you are missing out on some great news and stories! You could wait until next week to read the stories on line OR you could get our newspaper delivered to you and read it while it's still news! Why not subscribe today?

Have a fabulous day and stay safe, warm and dry....

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Wild weather & wild news

Winter has arrived with a vengeance in northern Alberta and many places across the continent.  Hurricane Sandy is doing her level best to devastate the east coast and people in British Columbia got an eye opener after a 7.7 earthquake.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all for their safety.

As wild as the weather has been there is a little gal in Texas who had a wild ride this past weekend.

Jennifer Robertson is officially the fastest woman in the world on a motorcycle - Robertson set a speed record of 243.6 mph on her Suzuki Hayabusa in a standing mile. 

She also holds a land speed record of 376 mph aboard the Ack Attack streamliner at Bonneville!

CONGRATULATIONS Jennifer!

Our online auction is support of Mark Mullen, an Autistic artist who is 19 years old, was a huge success raising over $4,500 for the talented young man. We'll be keeping an eye on him in the months and years to come as he and his mom Kristina host a motorcycle event called Help Solve the Puzzle!

The news feeds are relatively quiet today with regards to motorcycle news as the wild weather takes over the headlines, but there are articles that may be of interest to you or affect your day and life as a rider - check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com, where our work is keeping You informed!

I leave you with prayers for all those in the path of Sand!!

Have a warm and safe Monday everyone,
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Last day of our auction of SOA art

Today is the last day of our auction of SOA art created by Mark Mullen. This young man has attracted a lot of attention with his art and you my fair community have taught this young man a valuable lesson.

The lesson that Mark has learned is that he can make a living from his art. He has something valuable to offer the world.  Do you know how many parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders need to know that there is hope?

Autistic people communicate differently, relate to the world and their surroundings differently than the rest of us but it does not mean that they can't be valuable members of society. This young man's story is a testament to that!

So with Autism Awareness month coming to a close - I challenge you to find out more about Autism and challenge your own ideas on mental health issues.

We will meet my goal of $4,000 for this auction - we are at $2790 with the Opie and Young Jax auctions left to be completed today at noon Alberta time.

We already have $1100 in bids today - so community - pat yourself on the back - we did it - you did it and I am so thankful!

I am off to do some training with some members of the Rider Friendly Business Association and then to my nephews wedding - I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Ali will be doing the news feeds in a bit so make sure you visit www.beltdrivebetty.com to find out what might affect your day or life as a rider.
Until Monday...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Open letter to the motorcycle community

Dear Motorcycle Community,

I am so honoured, so humbled to be a part of a community that is filled with loving and giving human beings.  Many may slam us, many may not understand us - but this community is truly legendary for its capacity for giving. Our on line auction to support a young man with Aspergers Syndrome proves yet again what happens when people open their hearts.

We are well on the way to reaching my personal goal to raise $4,000 for Mark Mullen's education!

Day one we raised $875
Day two we raised $1,000 and now on day three with 5.5 hours to go in our second to last auction we are already at $900!

I want to thank everyone who has shared this young man's art and story - it is truly a blessing for all families who have children with an Autism Spectrum disorder that there are barriers being broken and all of you have helped play a role in that.

And I know that there have been a few who have donated to Mark's Education fund - to those who have - THANK YOU!!!! The donate link is on the top and the banner for donating is on the bottom of each auction page for those who would like to contribute - every little bit counts as his tuition fees are $40,000!

To those who have the financial resources to bid - please keep on - we have one more auction after Gemma and Bobby are sold..at noon today Young Jax and Opie go on the block.

It is the last opportunity to have anything autographed by Ryan Hurst as Opie!

I want to thank Ali - (the most wonderful community web mistress anyone could ask for) for donating her time to build the auction web site which will, when the auction is over, become a permanent home for Mark to share his talents with the world and will also serve as a web site for the Help Solve the Puzzle Ride for Autism Service Dogs.

It's Autism Awareness month and each one of you have helped to break down the barrier that people living with Autism face - so thank you, thank you and thank you for taking such an active role in this auction - every action, no matter how small you think it is, it has caused a ripple in the ocean of life that will touch many!

What makes this whole thing so special to me, is that this young man - Mark Mullen, who because of Aspergers,  had no way to work at a part time job to contribute to his education has found out that his art is his work/job and is his way to supporting himself - I hope you all understand what an impact you have made in his life.  Belt Drive Betty

Check out the news feeds on www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping You informed - there's quite a few interesting articles there today and for those who get our weekly community newspaper the Busted Knuckle Chronicles - I hope you enjoy reading the stories that are shared.

Have a fabulous Thursday and check in tomorrow at noon to find out the final tally in the Breaking the Autism Barrier through Biker and Biker Art Auction!

From the snowy north....have a FANTASTIC Thursday!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider