SLNC Wins BC Parks Community Partner of the Year Award

| Wendy Shannon

 

PRESS RELEASE: June 1st, 2021

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club has just been named the recipient of the 2019-20 Community Partner of the Year Award by BC Parks, a recognition awarded once every two years. The Honourable George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy presented the club with the announcement earlier today. 

“BC Parks has always benefitted from the involvement of community partners to build the ongoing legacy of our parks and protected areas systems, one of the largest in North America. It is with great pleasure I am writing to inform you that you have been selected as BC Parks’ Community Partner of the Year for 2019/2020 as part of our biennial external awards program! Over the last 30 years, you have invested an incredible amount of time and energy at Silver Star Provincial Park. With genuine pride and passion, you have dedicated 14,000+ volunteer hours a year in benefit of the park and your community which shows your remarkable commitment to BC Parks. We applaud your contributions”. – The Honourable George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

 

As Sovereign Lake moves forward with major Strategic Planning Goals, including a commitment to sustainability, hosting of major races, construction of a new day lodge, and a commitment to provide living wages for all of its employees, SLNC is seeing tremendous growth and uptake in outdoor winter sports through the club. 

The Sovereign Lake Nordic Club thanks BC Parks for being recognized as BC Parks’ Community Partner of the Year for 2019 and 2020. Our partnership helps create one of the best places in North America to cross-country ski and snowshoe. By working together we provide exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for everyone. It is a place to enjoy nature, be with family and friends, and improve our overall physical and mental health. Sovereign Lake was particularly important to people’s overall health during the last 15 months of the COVID pandemic. We look forward to many more years working in collaboration with BC Parks to provide outstanding opportunities for nordic skiing and snowshoeing. – Jeff Ward – SLNC Board Chair

 

As the club prepares for the 2021-22 season, having launched season pass and program sales on June 1st, this latest announcement of achievement is a lot to be proud of. We look forward to welcoming you this coming season with new exciting events and a return to more normal operations. 

 

Season Pass and Program Registration Opens June 1st

| Wendy Shannon

We are excited to open up our 2021-22 registration season with an extra early bird discount for June only. Pricing reverts to Early Bird rates from July 1st through October 31st. If you are a 2020-21 Season Pass Holder then you already have your RFID card and all you will need to do is enter your email used last season for your login and it will automatically populate your new pass or program purchase with your existing family members or personal details.

For more information please go to the Season Pass overview and pricing page HERE.

XC Supercamps Registration Opens May 1st

| Wendy Shannon

 

Drawing over 350 Masters skiers of all abilities from around the globe each winter, XCSupercamps registration opens May 1st, 2021. With a full roster of technique development camps for all ability levels starting November 23 through January 24th, register quickly as our many camps sell out quickly. With a comprehensive refund policy, booking your ski camp is worry-free.

Register HERE

Visit www.xcsupercamps.com for more information.

 

 

 

Programs Get a Financial Boost in 2021-22

| Wendy Shannon

The Board has approved a long-term plan to strengthen programs at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club (SLNC). The Board’s work is guided by the SLNC 2018 Strategic Plan. This plan outlines five goals and within these goals, 11 objectives, with three of the five goals directly related to Club programming needs.

In January 2021, our Programs Director, the GM, and the Board identified the need to focus on these three goals of the Strategic Plan that address our long-term needs for Bunny Rabbits through to Masters programs. The group has prepared a Programs Plan that addresses how SLNC will meet the targets set forth in the Strategic Plan. This new plan will help guide the Board’s decision-making over the next three years (2021/2022 through 2023/2024).

The Plan provides much-needed staffing horsepower to grow programs, enhance the culture and community of Nordic skiing at Sovereign Lake, and create a new and engaged Programs Committee that focusing on skills development, competitions, events, and volunteers.

SLNC will accomplish this by hiring 4 key programs-dedicated positions. Our Head Coach will be supported by:

  • A new part-time Masters High Performance Coach,
  • A new part-time Biathlon Program Coach,
  • A new part-time Skill Development Program (SDP) Lead Coach to grow the program for kids ages 5 through 12, and
  • A part-time Programs Administrator will act as our program registrar and communication lead.

These new positions will be supported through a small increase in programming fees, revenue from competitions, fundraising, and directing $10 from each Season Pass sold to support Programs. This means that
every single club member is a direct supporter of the long-term growth and sustainability of our programs.

The Board is also providing a one-time contingency from our cash reserves if needed to offset shortfalls during this expansion of Programs in the 2021/2022 season.
Budgeted programs expenditures for 2021/2022 will be double what they were in 2019/2020 in support of Programs. The Head Coach position is also now being funded through the new Programs Budget Framework, a
change from past seasons.

We are excited for this new chapter of growth at Sovereign where attention has been focussed primarily on Club operations for the last number of years. We want to thank all those who helped out with the creation and implementation of this new plan. The job descriptions for these 4 new positions will be posted on the club website shortly. The plan is to fill these positions by May 15th and hold the first new Programs Committee meeting in June, to plan for the upcoming season.

Season Passes and Programs Registration open on June 1 st. All registrations will happen through the website and a notification will go out the week prior to launching sales.

Have a wonderful spring.

Your SLNC Board of Directors.

Thank You for an Amazing Season!

| Wendy Shannon

And that’s a wrap!  We are so thankful for our amazing ski community this winter. There are so many new faces, and club members skiing more than they ever have before. We know that our facility was a saving grace for our community, keeping everyone safe, spaced, and healthy. Kudos go out to our amazing staff, volunteer committees, and Board Members for keeping Sovereign open for everyone to use this season.

The yellow gate will be locked effective Sunday evening so please park in the lower parking lot if you intend to ski more days on ungroomed trails this spring. Please recognize that the lodge is closed effective April 11th and there are no inside facilities or first aid available.

We can’t wait to see you in November! Season Passes and Programs Registrations go on sale June 1st.

All the best this spring.

Troy Hudson – SLNC General Manager

Last Day Extended Hours on Sunday April 11th: 7am – 4pm

| Wendy Shannon

Our Programs skiers are planning to do solo 50/75/100 km skis on Sunday morning before the snow softens. To support the group we will be opening the lodge at 7 am and making sure that the washrooms are open by then. Many of the kids are starting at 5 am so help us cheer them on. Good luck in your year-end push and please stop by the ticket windows when you are done to say bye! It has been a great, albeit strange season.

The Road Has Been Graded!

| Wendy Shannon

Well… better late than never!

AIM Contracting has finally made it up to Sovereign Road and we have a fresh grade just in time for closing weekend. It is still not great but we will take what we can get.

Reduced Hours In Effect Now Until Closing Day

| Wendy Shannon

We have reduced our operating hours effective immediately from 9am to 4pm due to increasing slushy conditions in the afternoon and lack of skier traffic. You are welcome to ski on the trails after lodge operating hours and use the portables for washrooms.

Thank you.

Putting Your Skis To Bed For Summer

| Wendy Shannon

Keep those skis fast and fresh next fall by getting a summer storage wax done at Sovereign Lake. For $20 we will summer prep your skis with a steel brush and a universal glide wax, plus we will even scrape them for you in the fall when you are ready to hit the trails again. We will accept skis until April 9th with all skis being picked up by April 11th.

Summer Storage Brush and Hot Wax:  $20.00 + taxes. 

Reflecting on our Closure This Day Last Year

| Wendy Shannon
COVID-19: It has been exactly one year since our club was turned upside down. With a forced closure notice across the province of all BC Parks, Sovereign operations ended abruptly for the 2019-20 season.
What was to come over the next year brought sorrow to so many who lost loved ones, many lost jobs and all were separated from friends and family through forced lockdowns and restrictions. Thank you to our PHO for guiding us safely through this challenging year.
There is a glowing light at the end of this long tunnel. We are so fortunate to have a family here at Sovereign to keep our facility open through this long pandemic. Your kind words of support are so appreciated as we wrap up this challenging season.
We miss our friends from afar deeply but rejoice in the fact that next winter, things may return to some semblance of normalcy.
Thank you for this amazing season. SLNC closes for the winter on April 11th, 2021.
Happy Spring Everyone!
Troy Hudson –  SLNC General Manager