By Goat Staff
The board of a local non-profit group hoping to start a community ski hill in Valemount met in July for its first Annual General Meeting. The Valemount Ski Society directors met in Centennial Park to elect a new board of directors and discuss progress.
President Joseph Nusse said that the Simpcw First Nation is undertaking an comprehensive archeological study of the proposed community ski hill area.
“That will be done this summer,” said Nusse.
Nusse said that the provincial authority on ski areas, the Mountain Resorts Branch, would be able to authorize logging of ski runs soon after.
“The game plan is to push to develop ski runs, if we get that done in a reasonable amount of time this year, then we’ll push to install the lift,” he said.
Nusse said that the capital is mostly raised to install a handle tow lift, the use of which was donated to the community by proponents of Valemount Glacier Destinations Resort.
The handle tow is expected to take about a week to install and certify, which costs about $10,000.
The bridge
The ski area would be accessed using a forestry road near the Valemount airport and crossing the McClennan River is one of the challenges.
Nusse said that the community can use an ice bridge to access the site, and that its creation and the permission to build it would be included in the operational plan for the community ski hill.
The group will ask the Valemount Community Forest to clear the runs.
Financials
Sherri Malone gave the financial report for the first year.
“We have $11,249.71,” she said.
Nusse said that if anyone who has donated wants their money back, it is still possible to have money refunded.
“We’re holding the funds until they’re demanded back,” he said. “We have three times that amount promised when something actually happens.”
Nominations and elections
Silvio Gislimberti, the Village of Valemount’s Economic Development Officer, conducted the elections. The existing directors were re-elected: Evelyn Paredes, Patricia Thoni, Joe Nusse, Ernie Romanow, Shawn Fowler (absent), Deb Iorns, and Sherri Malone. Ron Lampreau, a Simpcw First Nation Councillor, also sits on the board.
The next Valemount Ski Society meeting will be held after the archeological assessment has been completed.
