Our 30th annual Blachford Lake Lodge Spirit Awards went to several young skiers last weekend. 

The Blachford Lake Lodge Jackrabbit Spirit Award was created in 1989/90 by the original lodge owners, Freeland and Bob Stephen. Both men had children in the program and saw a need to recognize young athletes who demonstrated spirit and positive attitude and attendance. We believe these are the longest continuous awards in the N.W.T. ski community. 

This year’s winners for Anya Marshall and Barrow Wray for Bunnies; Quinn Vander VEen Kielstra for Level 1; Finn Marshall for Level 2; Vaida Marrai and Leah Stephenson for Level 3; Jack Lyall for Level 4; Ana Maria Villegas for Mixed Ages; and Carys Lyall for Go Ski. Yes, those Lyalls are siblings. Props to Devin for having such great kids. 

Thanks to all our volunteer coaches for making last year a great ski year. (And to Alex Lothian for the photo of our Level 2, 3, 4 and Mixed Ages winners.)

Our annual Herringbone Award, which goes to a business that contributed in-kind services to the club in the past year, went to Canadian Tire this year for their generosity in donating $1,000 towards our brand new ski club uniforms, as well as another $1,000 in in-kind donations for much-needed chalet equipment (including a brand new coffee urn!). This award also marks our appreciation for their Jumpstart program, which offers grants to help families buy sports equipment for their kids. Thanks to Karen Butorac et al for all their help! (And to Alyssa Titus for the photo.)

In honour of winter arriving, and the ongoing need for socially distanced activities, our board voted to extend the early bird membership rates this year. Early bird rates will now run until Nov. 15.

Sign up here.

Rates are:

• Family – $320 ($300 Early Bird)
• Individual Adult – $140 ($120 Early Bird)
• Individual Youth (5 – 18) – $60
• Individual Child (<5) – $20

And make sure to sign up for our newsletter to learn the latest about our youth programs, adult lessons, events and trail conditions. 

The board discussed and approved a plan Nov. 2 for carrying on with our season while preventing the spread of COVID-19. 

You’ll find our full Exposure Control Plan here. This document will be reviewed and updated as needed. It will also be posted on the bulletin board inside the chalet. 

I’ve listed highlights below. 

Chalet highlights

Good news; the chalet will open soon with new signage! Members are welcome to use the chalet to change and leave gear/equipment in while skiing. 

However, we are asking members to please limit their chalet usage, especially on Saturdays between 10 and 3, when our programs are running. 

Members are also asked to:

• sign in upon arrival;
• follow posted maximum capacities per zone or room (i.e. wax rooms, washrooms);
• stay home if ill;
• not enter the chalet if self-isolating for any reason;
• clean and disinfect touched surfaces before leaving;
• BYO coffee/hot chocolate. The communal kitchen is closed for now. 

We will continue to rent the chalet to user groups who demonstrate adherence to CPHO guidelines. 

Program highlights

Our program leads will send details to all participants, but here are a few of the high notes.

• HP, Track Attack and Jackrabbits will run primarily outdoors this year. Skiers must arrive dressed and ready to ski.
• We’re adding two more access points to the trails so each Jackrabbit group can meet away from others (that is, we’ll use the biathlon stadium and the trail entry near the grooming shed as well as the main stadium).
• The chalet will be used primarily for bathrooms, warmth and indoor dryland training where a WSCC risk assessment allows.
• Jackrabbit snacks and Track Attack lunches will be cancelled for now.
• Our Ski Parents program will not be offered until indoor physical distancing restrictions are lifted. 

As mentioned, these rules will be updated to follow the latest public health guidelines. 

Big thanks to programs director Bernadette Knox, facilities director Credence Wood, volunteers coordinator Alyssa Titus, treasurer Tania Hercun and all-around volunteer John Stephenson for working hard on this plan!

Registration is now open for the 2020/2021 ski season!

Early bird fees apply until Nov. 9, 2020. 

• Family – $320 ($300 Early Bird)
• Individual Adult – $140 ($120 Early Bird)
• Individual Youth (5 – 18) – $60
• Individual Child (<5) – $20

Families who need some extra help to cover program fees and equipment are invited to choose the option to apply for a Kidsport grant, which we can then help you with. Kidsport NWT will provide families up to $300 per child to cover program and equipment costs.

An alternative option is Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program, which offers up to $300 per child two times a year for registration fees, equipment and transportation. 

What about COVID-19?

While we have outlined some broad strokes for our COVID-19 season plan, we have not yet defined what exactly our programs will look like. So far, we know that:

• We’ll aim to keep programs mainly outside, using the chalet for bathroom breaks and warmups only.
• In addition to the main entry to the stadium, we’ll post signage on the trail access point near the grooming sheds (just to the right of the main entryway) and on the biathlon range so that we don’t get bottlenecks of people heading into or out of the trails.
• We’ll follow all current public health rules, meaning a maximum of 25 people in the chalet at a time, no sharing of kitchen items (so no hot chocolate making this year); and some sort of sign-in should we ever need to do contact tracing. 
• We have applied for funding to hire someone to help us manage the chalet during high traffic times, though this may not be necessary. 

When we do have a full plan developed, we’ll share it with our members and post it here on our website. Our programs director, Bernadette Knox, is taking the lead on this. Thanks Bernadette!

Snow Show a no go

Due to COVID-19, we will not be holding our annual Snow Show and used ski equipment sale. 

In lieu of the Snow Show, we invite anyone who wants to learn about our club to call up one of our ski ambassadors to learn more about our programs:

• Kerry Wheler, events coordinator, coach, long-time skier and mom of two: 867-446-5448
• John Stephenson, director-at-large and honorary lifetime ski club member, 867-446-4521
• Sara Minogue, communications director, 867-446-1432.

In lieu of our annual used ski gear sale, we invite people to make use of our Yellowknife Ski Gear Sell/Swap Facebook page, or call any of the above ski ambassadors for advice on how to find skis. 

Member perks

In addition to access to our trails, our chalet and wax room and our social events, however those look this year, ski club members get a 10% discount on ski equipment and related accessories at Overlander. (Conversely, people who rent skis at Overlander are entitled to use our trails for free for the duration of the rental.)