Callaghan Winter Sports Club (CWSC) directors are envisioning Squamish as Canada's central Nordic training grounds, as early plans for Squamish Legacy Sports Park were revealed at the group's annual general meeting on Monday (Oct. 5).
The club is eyeing a portion of crown land near Brennan Park between the Squamish Valley Rod & Gun Club and Raven Drive as the site for development ski jumps, paved rollerski trails and a shooting range.
With the establishment of Whistler Olympic Park, Squamish has the potential to be a key location for developing world class Nordic athletes, said club president Denise Imbeau. But athletes need to be provided with the beginning steps to reach Olympic-sized goals.
"Our kids, too, can be champions if we give them something to be champions with," said Imbeau in front of about 20 members at the Brackendale Art Gallery.
"Our national ski jumpers all live and come out of Calgary, and it's not an accident. It's not because they have lighter bones or because they're less afraid of heights. It's because they have the facilities, in much the same way that our Team Squamish [mountain bike team] wins all the medals across the province and the nation. It's because we have the facilities, we have the infrastructure, we have the team and we have the support."
The club's vision is not exclusive to Nordic sports. The land includes rock faces perfect for climbing and an area that could be constructed into a dirt jump park for bikes. A parkour course, which is a trail spotted with various obstacles for fitness training, could also be created.
The club is in the process of collaborating with other local recreational organizations so that a maximum community benefit is achieved.
History shows that the park's success relies on dedication and co-operation between volunteer groups, said Imbeau, adding that major amenities like Alice Lake Provincial Park, the trails network and the airport were all spurred by the vision and work of volunteers.
"We're pretty alive to that if we want this we'll have to, as volunteers, do it. And we're going to get more if we combine our efforts and move it forward," she said.
Efforts will likely include a large-scale fundraising drive in the initial stages, which would include applying for provincial and federal grants.
The park would be financially self-sustainable once it's established due to various income-generating training programs expected to run year-round, said VANOC ski jump and Nordic combined manager and CWSC director John Heilig.
"Summer camp programs are amazing and in Calgary we had over 2,000 kids a season participating in ski jumping, biathlon, rollerblading," said Heilig.
"And they can make a fair bit of money because once the jumps are built You'd certainly be bringing a lot more than you would be paying out in staff and maintenance."
The club has yet to put forth the park idea to Mayor Greg Gardner and council because the plan is still in its initial stages to determine a collective vision for the park.
