Council agrees to provide 1/3 of the cost to reopen the local ski hill after the 2006-07 season was cancelled.

 

 

The future of White Track Ski Hill is on a slippery down hill slope after they recently announced they will not be opening this winter to do insufficient funding. But all is not lost.

The local sports facility was discussed Monday night at council as Chair of the Alpine Ski Club Gerhard Scholten addressed our councilors about why they have had so many problems. "Because of the onerous, exploitive, and impossible demands by Saskatchewan Environment volunteers have become totally frustrated, exasperated, and exhausted. Several Boards of Directors have resigned en masse, and it has become all but impossible to attract new volunteers and White Track has become all but extinct."

Council has approved a motion to offer 1/3 of the cost to reopen the hill north of Moose Jaw with the rest coming from the province and fundraising groups like the ski club. Whether the province will do the same is unknown.

Councilor Brian Swanson called the local facility essential to the development of local youth. "We can go to the table with the province, the school board, and the Alpine Ski Club and say here's 1/3 of the money and go. I don’t think we should shoulder the entire responsibility, it is a provincial park."

The vote was 5-2 with Mayor Al Schwinghamer standing again the motion saying it wasn't enough. "The province is not funding any ski hills in Saskatchewan and that is their present policy. All ski hills have to be totally self-sufficient. The schools will provide users and the users will provide for user fees but they will not pay for any kind of capital improvement."

Our Mayor called for the city to take over the ski hill and provide 250 thousand dollars for upgrades but his motion was defeated.

Council will discuss their next step on September 11th.