With last weekend’s closing of the facility for the winter season, the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill has a lot to celebrate, not only for having received so many visitors this year, but for having come out the other end of a ski season that almost didn’t happen.
The hill was open for the last day of the season March 31 and Tawatinaw Valley Ski Club president Wendy Batog credits the hill’s success on not only the visitors, but the volunteers who contributed their time.
“Our success was 100 per cent due to all the support we had from our visitors and the volunteers who came out to help, whether it was in guest services, or in the kitchen doing dishes, or the parents that helped put in the terrain park and fencing. All those people. Even those who took out the pop bottles and recycled our cardboard,” said Batog.
“They may seem like small things, but they were huge for us.”
The community has really come together to support the hill, said Batog and contributions from the Westlock Rotary Club and 100 Women Who Care helped put the club over and above their goal of raising $50,000 per year for capital costs for the course of their three-year operating agreement with Westlock County.
County council voted to shutter the facility last summer after they were unable to find a buyer. However, after several meetings between council and a dedicated group of volunteers, it was decided the county would enter into the operating agreement with what became the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Club.
The county is now contributing $200,000 per year for operating expenses on top of an additional $50,000 for capital projects, which are to be matched by the club.
Batog noted the club is now considered a charitable organization, so tax receipts will be issued for any donation.
Ski hill general manager Steve Kimpton echoed Batog’s positive reviews for the year and said he’s now looking forward to the summer.
“We’re at about 7,500, without adding in the final weekend numbers. That’s paid visitors, but we have a total number of about 8,700 for total visitors ... For year one I think it’s a fantastic number. I think it’s better than anticipated, which is just fantastic. It’s not where we need to be, but to get started I think we’re pretty proud of those numbers,” said Kimpton.
“Going from this place being slated to be closed to actually having 7,500 people come out to enjoy it, that’s pretty impressive.”
The hill is proving to be a regular destination for those from outside of Westlock County as well, which is more than welcomed.
The facility has been keeping track of where patrons are coming from and came up with some unexpected findings. The stats show that 15 per cent of users are coming from Westlock County, followed by residents of the town at 13 per cent. Twenty-one per cent claim to reside in the Town of Athabasca and 11 per cent claim Athabasca County as their home. Fourteen per cent also came from Sturgeon County.
Visitors from Edmonton, St. Albert, Thorhild, Parkland County and Barrhead also registered significant numbers.
“That’s a good news story,” said reeve Lou Hall after county council’s March 26 meeting. “I think they’re doing an amazing job.”
“They’ve had a very successful winter, given how little time they had to prepare for it,” said CAO Leo Ludwig. “Hats off to the volunteers for pulling that together on such short notice.”
Batog said the club was recently very well-received by Sturgeon County council and has plans to visit councils in Athabasca, Thorhild, Barrhead and Redwater in the coming weeks.
With this winter’s success though, thoughts are now turning to the summer months and how to best utilize and market the area as a four-season destination.
Batog pointed out there are already three weddings booked for the summer and they are marketing the chalet as a meeting place for various organizations. Representatives from the Town of Westlock and Town of Athabasca recently met there to discuss future recreational opportunities they can work together on.
There is a possibility of holding youth activities at the facility over the summer and there has also been interest from a bike club to perhaps hold an event at the hill.
