Welcome to a new era for Kanata Nordic – President’s Message
President’s Message September 2015: Welcome to a new era for Kanata Nordic
Welcome to a new era for Kanata Nordic! With the recent opening of Registration for the coming ski season we embark on a new journey as we relocate all our programs and activities to Wesley Clover Parks (WCP) for the coming season.
This will be our first full season at our new “digs’ at Wesley Clover Parks on Corkstown Road. As many of you know, last year we operated all of our programs at the Y with whom we have enjoyed a positive relationship for many years. However with the constant increase in our numbers we gradually out grew that facility and we are now fortunate to have access to and use of the trails and some of the facilities at Wesley Clover Parks. Last year we were able to do some trails development at WCP and by the end of the season we had approximately 15K of trails available for skiing. Many of you have already skied portions of these trails as they became available and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
With this being our first complete season at WCP we are doing our best to have trails and facilities ready for our full range of programs. We expect there will be some period of transition as kids and parents alike find their way around these new areas. Where do the Bunnies meet, where are the JR 2’s, how many bumps are in the play park; who is doing hot chocolate on Saturday afternoons and probably most important – where is the line up for that elusive porta potty? Fear not parents, as we will also have access to indoor facilities as well. While these are just a few examples it will probably take the better part of the coming season for all of us to get oriented to our new surroundings and for our Exec to determine what works best in which areas, what needs to be modified etc. If any of the members have any suggestions during the coming season feel free to send them along.
As we progress through the coming season we will keep the membership well informed of events. Our calendar of events will be similar to past years although the Pretzel is moving up into mid or late January instead of late February. The full range of Saturday afternoon JR programs will continue and the Track Attack group will move to Saturday morning from afternoon. Racers will follow a similar schedule to previous years so check with your coaches. In addition Family Ski Night and Parents Ski Night will be set for Friday evenings. To conclude the JR programs, our annual Fun Day will be the usual Saturday before the start of March Break. Our Annual Ski Swap is slated to for October 17th . For more specific details see our Calendar of Events.
Looking ahead we are excited about the potential for expanded skiing opportunities and other winter activities at our new site as time and resources allow. This winter we look forward to an outstanding season of skiing at our new location with approximately three times the length of trails as before and all our grooming now dedicated at the one site. Start working on that Snow Dance!
Richard Batty
President, Kanata Nordic