Cross-country ski club gaining traction

The Bonnyville Nordic Ski Club held a successful first open house earlier this month, and they’re hoping to maintain their momentum with another such event in Cold Lake.

The Club, which promotes cross-country skiing for youths and seniors alike, had a rousing success with its open house at the beginning of October — 60 people turned out, with half in person and the rest through Zoom.

“We are volunteering as much time as we afford to help organize our sport in the Lakeland Region,” said Nordic coach Les Parsons, who helped lead the club’s creation.

Parsons said his drive to establish a club in the Bonnyville-Cold Lake area was to help establish ties with each community’s residents, particularly local Indigenous populations.

The Club subsequently its first outdoor event on October 24 at Muriel Lake which covered cross-country essentials such as layering and proper pole technique, wrapping up with a ski walk for those in attendance.

The event saw 40 people of all ages in attendance from communities across the Lakeland including Bonnyville, Cold Lake, St. Paul, and three young women from Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement who also represented the Zone 7 Region at the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

The Club will be hosting it’s second open house at the Cold Lake Energy Centre on October 29th at 7:00pm, and will have the option of attending through Zoom once more.

“We would love to get a sense of what Cold Lakers would like for support in cross-country skiing in the Lakeland,” said Parsons in an email. “Whether you plan on attending in-person or through Zoom, please make time to join us to show your support.”

Local leaders have also taken note of the Club’s success — Parsons approached M.D. council earlier this week to request $5000 for the purpose of expansion, which was approved enthusiastically by council, who noted that they would be happy to provide further funding down the road.

Any further information on the Club’s activities and announcements can be found on their Facebook page.