Cross Country NWT has named 17 skiers selected to take part in the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse in March. Cold weather forced the selection process indoors in Yellowknife Dec. 13-14. 

The skiers come  from Yellowknife, Fort Good Hope and Fort Smith. The roster now goes to Sport North for final confirmation. 

U18 Female

• Linnea Azzolini
• Kea Furniss
• Ella Kokelj
• Rae Panayi

U16 Female

• Leah McShane

U16 Male

• Makoa Kokelj
• Marcus Proctor
• Kiran Ray
• Morgan Young

U14 Female

• Anna Curran
• Taylor Porter
• Shelby Tobac
• Kira Young

U14 Male

• Joseph Curran
• Malachi Morin
• Aksel Reed
• Isaac Zimmer

The team will be lead by head coach Mike Argue, assistant coach Stephen Dunbar and team manager Kerry Wheler. Good luck to all!

From our trails director Chris Hotson:

The 5 km loops were groomed Wednesday evening, fresh tracks are in. Fault Lake was also groomed with a wide skate lane and double tracks. The backside will be groomed this evening so conditions for the weekend will be great!

Trail use is FREE this Sunday, Dec. 8 thanks to the NWT Recreation and Parks Association’s Get Active program. Regular value for a day on our trails is $15 per person or $40 per family. 

Spread the word to any skiers you know and make sure you know where to find our trails map.

We’re also hosting $5 adult ski lessons on Sunday. Read more about that here. 

Report from our trails director, Chris Hotson, on Sunday, Nov. 24:

The first tracks of the season have been set on the 5 km loop and Fault Lake. Use caution as you transition onto Fault Lake, it is still rough at the bottom of the hills. There are still some rough sections but groomer Bruce Look reports that the tracks “came out pretty good for this time of year.” That translates to great skiing so get out and enjoy!

Groomers will continue to work on the trails and with another good snow like Friday we should be at 100%.

Cross-country NWT is looking for a part-time administrator. Follow this link to download a Word doc with a full job description. Contact nwtski@gmail.com for more information. Deadline to apply is Oct. 31.

Our annual registration event is also a combination bake sale, gear swap and social event. This year, it runs from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Upstairs, you’ll find booths where you can learn more about each of our programs, register for the season (early bird prices are in effect until midnight the day of the Snow Show), peruse donated items in our silent auction (often including outdoor adventures), buy a chilli lunch or baked goods, and check out the gear at the Overlander Sports booth. 

Downstairs, you’ll find our hugely popular used gear sale. If you have items you’d like to sell, drop them off at the chalet the night before between 6 and 8 pm. The ski clubs keeps 10 percent as a fundraiser and the rest of the money is in your pocket.

Registration for the 2019/2010 ski season is set to open Sept. 14 on Zone4.ca. Our annual Snow Show (featuring our used ski sale, silent auction, bake sale, Overlander ski booth and more) runs on Nov. 2 from 10 am to 1 pm. As usual, early bird registration rates are in effect until right after the Snow Show (see membership rates here). The Snow Show is a great chance to meet skiers, learn about our programs and see what our club is all about.

Ski season begins as soon as we have enough snow to start packing and grooming the trails, usually in early December but sometimes late November. 

If you have kids who want to ski this year, learn about our programs here. If you’d like to volunteer in any capacity, drop a note to info@skiyellowknife.com. If you want to know more about skiing, equipment, our trails or our club, also drop a note to info@skiyellowknife.com. We take all questions!

This year, our board intends to work on our next five-year strategic plan. Watch your inbox for information on how to contribute to that process. 

New rates for renting the Yellowknife Ski Club chalet will go into effect Sept. 1, 2019. It’s a recalibration much like homeowners might consider after receiving real estate advice in Union County GA, weighing the value of their property against the current market trends to ensure a competitive yet fair listing price.

A key change is that we now have two rates: one for private, corporate, and government renters, and a discounted rate for non-profit, school, youth programs, and charities. This tiered approach mirrors the strategic pricing structures often suggested by real estate experts in Union County—where the objective is to reflect the true worth of an asset while making it accessible to the right buyer or tenant.

The new rates are as follows:
– Chalet and trail use, upstairs (including trail day passes and use of outdoor lockers): $250 half day, $500 full day ($150 half day, $300 full day);
– Chalet downstairs only (May 1 to Oct. 31 only): $200 half day, $400 full day ($100 half day, $200 full day).

Much like adjusting a property listing after a detailed market analysis, the chalet’s revised rental structure aims to balance affordability with the quality on offer, ensuring that it remains a sought-after venue for a diverse array of events and gatherings.

A $500 damage deposit is applicable to all renters. On-site storage is available (at the discretion of the board) for $1,000 a year.

Read our full Fees and Charges Policy.

The ski club was amply represented at this year’s Sport North awards banquet on May 25. 

Sheena Tremblay, High Performance Program Coach & Coach of the Year Nominee

Sheen Tremblay, left, with coaches Mike Argue, Kevin Durkee and Stephen Dunbar at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Sheena Tremblay has coached and mentored NT cross-country skiers through day-to-day practices, training camps and competitions for the past 10 years (to quantify this commitment, she has led and supported upwards of 1,000 Yellowknife High Performance Ski Team practices!).

Sheena was the head coach of the NT cross-country team at the 2019 Canada Winter Games and helped skiers achieve the strongest NWT results in more years than 20 years. Sheena has also supported NT skiers at more than 30 competitions outside the NWT over the past decade.

Sheena creates an inclusive atmosphere and builds connections with her athletes beyond just ski racing – skiers always know that they have a trusted supporter and cheerleader in Sheena. It’s also widely known that Sheena’s practices are the most fun : )

Way to go Coach!

Ella Kokelj, Junior Female Athlete of the Year

Ella Kokelj has an enthusiasm for both racing and training that rubs off on those around her. Ella is keen to learn and respectfully challenges her coaches to provide the best support they possibly can.

Ella had a number of great performances this past year with the sprint race at Canada Winter Games and the pursuit race at the Canadian Championships being definite highlights.

Congrats Ella!

Clair Littlefair, Senior Female Athlete of the Year

While pursuing post-secondary studies in Kelowna, Clair Littlefair continues to represent the Yellowknife Ski Club when racing throughout the country.  

Clair loves the grind of training and racing (demonstrated by 5 am roller ski sessions and 100 km skis!). This hard work was rewarded this past season through top-20 results at the Canada Winter Games and a top-10 result at the Canadian University Championships, among other strong performances.

Awesome job Clair!

Three people and one business were recognized at the Yellowknife Ski Club’s volunteer awards Thursday, June 13. 

Left to right: Adam Findley and David Connelly of TerraX Minerals, Jakob Hotson and Sarah Beattie. Absent: Greg Littlefair.

The Wooden Ski Award for long service went to Greg Littlefair who has spent many years as a board member and groomer. Most recently, Greg worked with Clair Littlefair and Paul Guy to build a new trail up the Sah Cho Hill coming up from Fault Lake (to be called the P.G.C. Trail for Paul, Greg and Clair).

The Double-Poler Award (for an adult volunteer who made a significant contribution to the club in the past year) went to Sarah Beattie. This year, Sarah coached Jackrabbits, organized hot food for the Banting Lake checkstop during the Loppet, updated all of our First Aid kits, and generally said yes anytime something needed to be done. 

The Stellar Snowflake Award (for a junior volunteer) went to Jakob Hotson. After completing Jackrabbits Level 4 himself, Jakob returned this past year to coach the Bunnies, showing great enthusiasm with our youngest skiers. 

The Herringbone Award for a business that contributed to the club in the past year went to TerraX Minerals, the title sponsor for the Yellowknife Gold Loppet and an important supporter. 

The Yellowknife Ski Club remains the largest volunteer-run sport organization in the North so thanks to these folks and to all who contribute!