Blowing snow in forecast at Windsor Park Nordic Centre
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/12/2024 (303 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
There’s not a lot of white stuff, but thanks to new snow-making machines, the Windsor Park Nordic Centre will open a portion of its trails this weekend.
“We learned a lot (last year), and we are in a much better position this year,” said general manager Laurie Penton.
Last year staff struggled to maintain the trails because of the abnormally warm winter, which forced them to close multiple times throughout the season.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Workers at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre attach the trail grooming equipment to a tractor Thursday afternoon. They’re preparing for the grand opening of the 2.5 km ‘primary loop’ trail along the Seine River on Saturday.
On Saturday, the nordic centre will host the grand opening of its 2.5-km machine-made ‘primary loop’ along the Seine River.
The centre has more than 10 kilometres of trails. Penton says as more snow falls, they will start working on the remainder of the trails.
“This hatched as a dream more than 15 years ago, but last year pushed us,” said Penton. “As you can see by the amount of natural snow we have so far this year, the fact that we are able to have a very skiable trail… is exactly what it’s all about.
The snow-making machines, called fan guns, pull water from the Seine River, which is blown out through a fan, creating tiny droplets that freeze before they hit the ground, creating a large pile of snow, said Penton.
The snow is spread along the trail before a tractor with a tiller attached compacts the snow.
In the last three weeks, more than 20 volunteers have stepped up to help with the process.
Karin McSherry, executive director of the Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba, said climate change is a reality, and it feels good to be prepared for all weather possibilities.
“We are still in the learning process, but this is a great start,” said McSherry.
The grand opening will include speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, said Penton.
He said snowmaking was always the dream of Brent Bottomley, a former competitive skier, coach, and chair of the cross-country association.
Bottomley died of a heart attack in 2018 while competing in a mountain bike race. His wife, Kym Bottomley, will cut the ribbon on Saturday.
“He thought (Windsor Park) was the most important thing to have in this city,” Kym said. “He fought so hard to access funding for a snow machine.”
Kym, who met her husband of over 25 years by joining the women’s ski team coached by him, said the opportunity to cut the ribbon is bittersweet.
“I will honour him as my husband, coach, and member of the community until the day that I am no longer here,” she said.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca