29th Anniversary Newsletter & Membership Renewal Campaign
Despite the pandemic restrictions of the past two years, with repeated lock downs and stay-at-home orders, the ski trails were the busiest they have ever been. The current Ontario Government guidelines require no modifications for program delivery; with any luck these guidelines will not change as the season progresses.
Sign-in every time you ski
The club is returning to the original pencil and paper registration at the trail head. PLEASE remember to sign the register every time you ski. For liability insurance coverage, all skiers must be signed into the register every time they ski.
The collection of this data will also be passed on to the City of Ottawa as a part of our annual funding agreement. Non-members are still required to pay $8 every time they ski. Trail maps and the emergency safety plan will be available at the trail head as well. There will be a vault washroom available in the campground and the clubhouse when it is open. Please take home any garbage (i.e. granola bar wrappers, water bottles, etc).
Clubhouse and Special Events
The clubhouse (the Park’s Maintenance Building) is only open when an executive member is present. If you wish to use the facility for an event, please contact Bryan through the “Contact Us” link on the website.
The trademark of the WCNSC – Quality Trail Grooming
Once again, there will be regular grooming of the trail surfaces to ensure that conditions are always as optimal as possible. You can count on re-grooming after significant accumulations of snow, usually 5 cm, and quite often grooming is completed on a Friday evening in preparation for heavier skier traffic on weekends. Please note that the ski club is no longer associated with additional trails outside of the park.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL – still the best way to support this volunteer effort!
Your membership keeps our club going and growing. Thank-you to our longstanding members who continue to support us year after year. The past two years saw a surge in new members who we hope will renew. The best way to support the club is to renew your membership; please tell your family and friends about the club, and/or bring them out to see for themselves.
Web Based Registration Process
Registering online is simple, just click on the Membership page and select the link “Online registration with e-payment options” which takes you to the website of our Zone4 registration partner and directly to the registration form.
The process is reasonably straight forward – however, if you need assistance, don’t hesitate to call Barrie Ashworth at 613-295-1703.
Registration Fees
Through the hard work of several volunteers, the WCNSC has been able to provide a quality ski experience at a very affordable price. As a not-for-profit club, all membership fees (after the mandatory portion that is deducted to support the national and provincial organizations) go directly back into the club for operations and maintenance/repairs of equipment. For the upcoming season we are faced with an increase in fees from the National and Provincial associations so we are passing this along as a 5% increase for club membership this season
Online Registration: Adult $42 — Youth $21 — Family $110
Note: The on-line registration adds fees of $1 per transaction, $1.50 per person and a 3% credit card fee. If you choose to pay by cheque the fee is $45 for individuals and $120 for families.
When a person or family supports the ski club by purchasing a membership, they can print, from the email sent confirming registration, a vehicle pass that should remain on their vehicle dash when in the park. Also, vehicles displaying an annual Ontario Parks Pass are permitted access to the park and use the ski trails.
Note: The on-line registration adds fees of $1 per transaction, $1.50 per person and a 3% credit card fee.
Don’t try to second guess trail conditions by looking out your window!
The snow conditions you see from the kitchen or living room window are seldom the same as the conditions on the Perimeter Trail! The Park is quite a sheltered little enclave and it has its own micro climate. Snow accumulations and conditions vary greatly across this region and it is nearly impossible to predict the quality of the ski experience on these trails. Aggressive grooming creates a refrigeration effect that will protect trails through mild spells and extend the ski season. In addition, grooming following a thaw/freeze cycle is timed to produce optimal conditions from a frozen granular surface.
If uncertain of the trail conditions, check the website before you head out (www.wcnordic.com) . The information is updated after every grooming or significant weather event. Please recognize that you may see an older date on this “Current Conditions” part of the site, indicating conditions have not changed.
Trail updates are also posted to Twitter – follow us @wcnordic1 and Instagram Account @wcnordic Send Bryan any trail photos you may have for sharing via the Instagram account.
Also, as a friendly reminder, the park is open to the public and shared by skiers and non-skiers alike. If you encounter any issues on the trails with other users, the best practice is to report any incident to the club executive through the website “ Contact Us ”.
Just a reminder to familiarize yourself with the Emergency Preparedness Plan which you will find on the website.
Kudos to all our volunteers
Many thanks continue to be directed toward the people that give up hundreds of collective hours to ensure the club runs smoothly. Special thanks to Bryan Dumouchel, club founder and President; Randy Belore, trails and equipment manager; Barrie Ashworth, Registrar; Laurie Ashworth, Secretary and Karen Ensing, treasurer. Additional thanks to Chris Savage, who looks after the website, and thanks to the membership…without your support the club would not exist. Thank-you all!!!
Your Feedback is welcome!
Over the years we have received very positive feedback from club members. Let us know how we can improve your outing or how the experience surpassed your expectations. Please continue to give us your comments and spread the word about one of “the best kept winter secrets” in West Ottawa. We’d love to hear from you – just click “Contact Us” on our website. Also, please remember that this is a volunteer club, so if you feel you have the time and skills to help – we would love to hear from you. Hope you have a snowy and enjoyable 2022-2023 ski season!
For inquiries please contact:
Bryan Dumouchel
WCNSC President
brypeg79@ gmail.com
613-878-0627