Cross-country skiers, biathletes and snowshoe enthusiasts will have an easier time finding their way at night through the trails at Otway Nordic Centre as a result of a private donation to install lighting at the city's nordic facility.
Ken Rickbeil of Calgary, who grew up in Prince George and competed as a nordic combined (ski jumping and cross-country skiing) athlete, has funded a $143,000 project to install 41 light poles and 69 LED light fixtures on the Nordic Light Park, a network of short racing trails built for the Canada Winter Games.
The project provides competition-quality lighting for a 4.5-kilometre section of trails, which enables ski racers and biathletes to train at race speeds or compete in races at night and opens up new nighttime territory for recreational skiers.
"We were able to light almost all of those skate trails, which was incredible because our initial proposal was only doing a small two-kilometre loop through there," said Caledonia Nordic Ski Club president Kevin Pettersen. "With this donation and with Westcana Electric coming in with a really awesome bid we were able to get a lot more done than we anticipated originally."
Pettersen said the club was able to stretch the area covered by the project thanks to a donation from Westcana Electric to provide 29 cedar light poles, and Stella-Jones, which contributed 19 poles. The lights will shine over all but a 3.75km black diamond freestyle trail which makes up the Race Maze section on the north-facing slope bordering the biathlon range.
Rickbeil's family donation was also enough to pay for installation of poles on the Race Maze classic trail. Pettersen said the club will continue to pursue grant money to add lights and wiring to that section. With private money now secured, the Caledonia club can apply for federal funding through the Canada 150 program to provide additional funds for trail improvements.
Rickbeil is president of Calgary-based Western Electric Management Ltd. After touring the Otway trails with longtime friend Cal Benson, a member of the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club competition committee, Rickbeil agreed to fund the project as a legacy to his family. His parents, Mel and Vera, raised four sons in the city - Jim, Ken Doug and Ian - and all were active in nordic sports through the Hickory Wing Ski Club, which became the Caledonia club in 1987. Trained as an electrician, Ken Rickbeil left the city for Calgary in the mid-1970s.
"Ken was looking for an opportunity to give back to Prince George because the boys were all raised here," said Benson.
A ceremony to unveil the project is planned for Saturday at 2 p.m. at the top of the caretaker's cabin hill.
Pettersen said the club will continue to make efforts to provide a paved section of trails for off-season training. The biggest hurdle, he says, is most of the gradual slopes which would provide safe areas for roller skiing are on leased Crown land set aside as a gravel reserve. The club is reluctant to pave on areas which could be taken back by the Ministry of Transport for industrial uses.
The Caledonia club currently has about 1,100 members signed up for the 2015-16 season. Last year, with the club hosting the Canada Winter Games, membership dropped to 1,650 after an all-time high of 1,872 in 2013-14, which made the Caledonia club Canada's largest nordic ski club.
To try to increase its membership, the club will provide one-day ski passes for each participant in the Mudd, Sweat and Tears obstacle race held at Otway in June.
