This page was exported from Bancroft this Week [ https://www.bancroftthisweek.com ] Export date:Tue Oct 27 17:42:19 2026 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: Rally of the Tall Pines requests use of Old Hastings Road from Wollaston --------------------------------------------------- By Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter At their meeting on Oct. 13, Ross Wood, clerk of the course for the Novus Rally of the Tall Pines sent a request by letter asking Wollaston council for permission to once again use Old Hastings Road for their annual rally on Nov. 21. After discussing it, council subsequently approved Wood's request for the Rally of the Tall Pines to use the road for their event. Jennifer Trumble, Wollaston's CAO, and Ross Wood, clerk of the course for Rally of the Tall Pines, comment to The Bancroft Times on this annual event that brings much excitement and tourism dollars to our area.  For the 55th year, the Rally of the Tall Pines, this year sponsored by Novus Automotive, has delighted rally participants and spectators. The event is part of the Canadian Rally Championship that tests drivers on challenging roads with ever-changing conditions. Bancroft has rolled out the welcome mat for this rally for the past 29 years, and as well as Novus Automotive as the title sponsor, Pirelli is the CRC series sponsor and ArcDroid and local sponsors also provide much needed support.  Last year's top three finishers were; Ricardo Cordero and Marco Hernandez in their 2018 Citroen C-3 in first place (1:43:21.7), Simon Vincent and Hubert Gaudreau in their 1994 Subaru Impreza in second place (1:46:31.7) and Jonathan Drake and Ian Lantz in their 2001 Subaru Impreza coming in third place (1:46:35.7).  In a letter dated Sept. 20, Wood requested permission to use a section of Old Hastings Road for the Rally of the Tall Pines as they'd done in previous years.  “I am hereby requesting permission for use of the Old Hastings Rd. again on November 21, 2026. We would like to run the stages on exactly the same portion of the road as in 2004 through 2025 north and south of Hwy. 620 to Murphy's Corners. We would run it again as two separate stages to avoid closing the road for the concentrated clump of houses in the 3.5 kilometre section north of Hwy. 620 and also so that it would not affect traffic on Hwy. 620. This year we would like to use the section north of Hwy 620 (we call it Upper Old Hastings) three times – southbound once in the morning and northbound twice in the evening. The section south of Hwy 620 (we call it Middle Old Hastings) we will run once southbound in the afternoon and once northbound in the evening. The road will be open between the passes in both cases. We will forward the exact times when we have finalized the schedule. Upon receiving permission, we would deliver a letter to property owners, just as we do every year, with details. The Tall Pines Rally is willing to agree to the exact same terms as other years and would provide proof of our $5-million insurance before the event, with the Township of Wollaston named as an insured party. We will continue to make every effort to support local business,” he says.  Wood also noted that as this is a boundary road, he'll also be arranging for separate permission with Limerick Township, and welcomed any questions that Wollaston council may have, and invited them to contact him if they had any. For any further information on the rally, people can get in touch with Wood at ross@tallpinesrally.com, or at www.tallpinesrally.com.  Wood told The Bancroft Times on Oct. 14 that they are deep into the planning for the rally at this point.  “Road use permissions are coming in steadily. We have a few to go. A new feature this year is night-time spectating at Iron Bridge, our major spectator area. It should be very exciting. Other Canadian national events have been getting about 30 entries, so we are expecting a similar number. Public reaction has been very strong. We are at a record number of volunteers at this point. There are also several brand-new rally cars running in the Canadian championship this year,” he says. “Several are the same as are running in the WRC (World Rally Championship),” he says.  Jennifer Trumble, Wollaston's CAO, confirmed that council had formally authorized the request from Rally of the Tall Pines at their Oct. 13 meeting.  “The township encourages rally participants, spectators, residents and members of the general public to extend their visit to Wollaston Township and the hamlet of Coe Hill to explore and support our local businesses, community organizations, and social programs. Members of the public are invited to visit some of our local community facilities; Wollaston Public Library at 5629-A Highway 620, Coe Hill, which offers a variety of community resources and programs and welcomes visitors on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 581, at 5526 Highway 620, Coe Hill, is also open to residents and visitors, who are encouraged to explore the Legion's ongoing community programs, social activities, and events,” she says. “The Township of Wollaston looks forward to welcoming rally participants, spectators, and visitors to our community and extends its best wishes to the organizers and participants for a safe and successful event.” --------------------------------------------------- Images: --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2026-10-27 13:00:00 Post date GMT: 2026-10-27 17:00:00 Post modified date: 2026-10-26 13:19:41 Post modified date GMT: 2026-10-26 17:19:41 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.co