19th Anniversary Newsletter & Membership Renewal Campaign
– December 6, 2012
Hello all, ski season is just around the corner, and as with every year, the WCNSC trails will be ready! Our mandate still remains to be the production of quality trails at an affordable price. This newsletter will highlight the club’s direction for the upcoming year.
Trail Work
October 27th was our annual pre-season trail clean-up morning. Many thanks go out to the
volunteers that generously gave their time to prepare the trails for another great season. The trails are ready and just waiting for snow.
The trademark of the WCNSC – Quality Trail Grooming
In an effort to upgrade and improve trail grooming, the West Carleton Nordic Ski Club has
purchased a second ATV equipped with tracks. It is time to retire the old Bombi! This older piece of equipment, that required considerable maintenance, has been put up for sale. Both the new and old ATV will be used to complete the grooming, especially after larger snowfalls. In addition, the second ATV will ensure that a reliable machine is always at the ready!
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.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL – still the best way to support this volunteer effort!
Last year the club had 134 registered members – the most ever. Thank-you again for joining us. Don’t forget to tell family and friends about the club – or better yet, bring them out to kick off the upcoming holiday season. Still have to shop for that hard-to-buy for person – why not a ski club membership?
Registration Process
There are two options for registering, but the preferred method is online as it reduces the time of processing registrations by hand.
1) Web Based Registration Process
Registering online is simple, just click on the Membership page of our website www.wcnordic.com and use the link “Join online today” which takes you to the website of our registration partner Zone4 and directly to the registration form.
The process for agreeing to the mandatory waiver for insurance purposes required by Cross Country Canada has been simplified this year. The registrant need simply check a box beside the red asterisk in the form below. By doing so, this binds all the skiers involved in the registration transaction to the waiver agreement. This applies equally to those who opt to pay by credit card on line or those who pay by cheque through the mail. There is no longer a need to print and sign waiver forms for anyone.
The process is reasonably straight forward – however, if you need assistance, don’t hesitate to call Barrie Ashworth at 613-832-1685.
2) By Mail
If a paper copy of the registration form is preferred, you can pick one up from the parking lot registration bin. These need to be mailed to the club registrar for processing, along with your payment. Please ensure to include a signed waiver.
Registration Fees
Through the hard work of several volunteers, we strive to keep membership fees at a very
reasonable rate. As a not-for-profit club, all membership fees go directly back into the club for operations and maintenance/repairs of equipment.
For the upcoming season, the registration fees remain the same as last year.
| Online Registration | Paper form Registration | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $30 | $40 |
| Youth | $15 | $20 |
| Family | $85 | $100 |
Note: the on-line registration adds $2-3 of processing fees depending on the method of payment.
Register every time you ski!!!
Despite the fact that Fitzroy Park remains officially closed over the winter, ski club members, guests and day use skiers are permitted access to the park through the signed agreement with Ontario Parks. When a person or family supports the ski club by purchasing a membership, they are e-mailed 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. ALL SKIERS are required to sign in the register, located at the far end of the parking lot, for every visit. Please record the date, skier name(s) and vehicle license number. Day Use skiers are asked to support the efforts of the WCNSC by contributing a donation in the box beside the sign-in register. Five dollars per skier per visit is suggested.
Please take the time to sign in -even if you are already a registered member. These statistics are important for the long term survival of the club. Accurate visitor information statistics are required by Ontario Parks and the City of Ottawa. This data is linked to funding submissions that we complete for the City.
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 microclimate. 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.
If uncertain, check the website before you head out (wcnordic.com). The conditions are posted after every grooming or significant weather event. Please recognize that you may see an older date on this “Current Conditions” part of the site – this simply implies that the conditions have not changed since the site was last updated.
Clubhouse and Special Events
We are very lucky to have use of a building within Fitzroy Provincial Park. The facility is equipped with a kitchen, washroom, fresh water and an area for ski waxing and tuning. Executive members will have a key and will try to have the facility open when skiing. If members want to use the facility at times that it may not be open, please call Bryan @ 613-832-0627. We encourage our club families or individuals to plan an event that takes advantage of this facility. A ski outing followed by a potluck snack or meal is a great way to entertain!
Posted events on the website continue to be the only times the clubhouse is guaranteed to be open. It is worth noting that many of the vault privies within the park are open and can be used in an emergency. Don’t forget to carry a little TP in your fanny pack!
Waxing clinics, orientation for new members, and introductory lessons are available upon
request. Call Bryan @ 613-832-0627.
Also note there are 2 cabin rentals on the newer 5km loop of the trails if you would like to spend more than just the day – see the Resources page of our website for more information.
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 Sherri Audet as Treasurer, Jim
Smedley as Secretary and Randy Belore as equipment manager. Thanks as well to Steve Duffield who assists with the trails and grooming. Additional volunteers include David Casey, Barrie Ashworth who looks after membership registration and Tammy Meagher who handles club communications. Thank-you all!!
Your Feedback is welcome!
Over the years we have received very positive feedback from club members – and an increasing membership is testimony to that. 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 Carleton. 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 2012-13 ski season!
Bryan Dumouchel
WCNSC President
brypeg79 at gmail.com
613-832-0627
Newsletter written by Tammy Meagher