With some creative planning, a lot of provincial funding, and the generosity of the local business community, the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club has managed to cover most of the costs of the $1.7 million project to rebuild one of the centrepiece venues of the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
A $400,000 grant from the province paid for construction of the biathlon range and penalty loop trail. Northern Development Initiative Trust supplied $30,000, and the club has received $190,000 in 2015 Canada Winter Games infrastructure funding.
The new five-kilometre freestyle trail that connects to the biathlon range and a new five-kilometre classic trail, both built last year, were made possible by a $300,000 land swap between a private land owner and the province. The Caledonia club now has recreational licence authority over the 70-hectare parcel of land, part of its network of about 50 kilometres of ski trails and 50 kilometres of single-track trails.
Total funding from government sources and grants amounted to $940,000, which left the club $660,000 short of its $1.7 million budget. Rather than see its grandiose plans for Otway fall short, the Caledonia club appealed to its 1800 members and the local business community came to the rescue.
Donations of supplies, equipment and labour from IDL Projects, All-West Glass, Winton Global Homes, Conifex Lumber, West Fraser Mills, Stella Jones, Double D Logging, Finning Tractor, Brandt Tractor, Sims Contracting, Access Engineering, Geonorth Engineering, L&M Engineering, Sinclar Group, Northern Steel have made the project possible.
The $400,000 cost of a 1,060-square-foot timing/storage/office building for the cross-country stadium and the 650-square-foot biathlon technical building, both two-story structures, will be largely covered by local businesses.
