This blog post is a contribution by Foothills President, Michelle Deacon.
Thanks for the snow Santa! Nice to see the dry, warm weather gone and lots of fresh, white, fluffy stuff! Confederation Park Golf Course has been rolled as of December 20. Here are a few details on skiing at Confederation Park Golf Course for the coming season.
Early snow at the end of October was exciting but the timing was not quite right for immediate ski trail grooming. Golf enthusiasts were still whacking balls on the course on October 27. Once golf season winds down, Golf Course Operations have considerable shut down work to prepare the course for winter, so turnaround from the end of golf season to ski season takes some time.
A small team of amazing Foothills volunteers loaded equipment into the golf course the first weekend of November as per our agreement with the City. Load in includes moving trailers and equipment from storage, unloading and equipment preparation; readying the site for grooming.
Last year we became a facility operator out of necessity – we needed a home for programs! With considerable volunteer effort we made this happen. Foremost, we are a Nordic ski club offering cross-country ski and biathlon programming. Facility operation, although a necessity for the moment, is still new for us.
We continue to work with our partner, The City of Calgary, and now have an operating agreement for the year. Some facts you may be interested in:
- Over 1500 volunteer hours were spent bringing skiing to Confederation and Canmore Park last season. This was a big ask of Foothills volunteers. This year, FNSC has hired an Operations Coordinator to assist.
- There will be a few more lights in the driving range this season. (Costs were prohibitive to install a portable light tower for this season.)
- Snow making – we still only have access to the one hydrant on 14 Street but the snow gun will now reside closer to the hydrant. We hope to further test the system this season and determine what equipment is needed to move snow. (Investing in a new hydrant installation was explored but considered too risky for this year. Further proving the snow-making system and completion of the City’s strategic plan for golf courses will make for a lower-risk decision.)
- Snow harvesting and farming will be employed to make the most of natural snow. Mechanized snow moving will be trialed in addition to manual snow moving. Snow harvesting teams will be out each Wednesday evening. You can volunteer here.
- Parking will now be available Monday through Sunday. Gate opening and closing will be managed by Foothills, with support from the City of Calgary, other clubs, and community volunteers. Please respect community residents and DO NOT park on side streets! If the lot is full, park on 19 Street or Canmore Park.
- Welcome Calgary Nordic Alliance! This newly formed society is a united voice for Nordic sport access in Calgary and is here to support local clubs (Foothills with Confederation and Calgary Ski Club with Shaganappi) with volunteers and fundraising. Check out their web site to learn more.
All the best to you and yours this holiday season.