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President’s Message – Gearing up for the season!

Dear HPSC Friends,

While others complain when we return to Standard Time, I look forward to it. I actually get a bit excited because it means that our season is another step closer! In fact, some of our trip destinations have already opened for the season. 

I want to thank all of the volunteers who helped to staff our booth at the Toronto Ski + Snowboard Show – it was a great success. We were able to talk with a wide variety of current and potential members, and with suppliers (and other clubs.)  

At the show we were handing out this year’s day trip schedule postcard – which will be uploaded to the website shortly.  Just some of the highlights on the downhill side: the first planned trips, conditions permitting of course, are Saturday, December 9 to Mount St Louis, and Sunday, December 10 to Blue Mountain.  The first Monday trip is January 8.  For midweek skiers, the first Wednesday trip is January 10 to Blue, followed by Alpine the following week. In late February, in place of Wednesday, we will be doing a couple of Thursday trips to Georgian Peaks and Beaver Valley (because these resorts will not be regularly be open on Wednesdays). On the cross-country side, the first scheduled trip is the traditional New Year’s celebration to Scenic Caves on Saturday, December 30.  

If you have not been out to SkiFit yet this year, there are just two more Saturdays left. I want to personally thank Karen Evans and John McHutchion for their ongoing leadership in helping members get ready of the season.  Karen is now out west at Silver Star, leaving John to lead the next two weeks on his own. One thing that I have been very happy about is the return of our post-exercise brunch in The Grenadier Café. It has been great to catch up with members and share stories and photos of recent travels and discussions regarding the upcoming season.

Due to the high response rate to the upcoming Information night on November 17, we have moved it to a location where we can accommodate more people.  The new location is the Duke of York (39 Prince Arthur Street, just off of Bedford Rd. just north of the St. George Subway station). Just as a reminder, for those attending the event we will have some of our fantastic logo wear long sleeve shirts to try on and of course purchase!  Hope to see many of you at the event.

On a personal note, as many of you know I am a huge fan of the most successful Toronto pro sports team – the Toronto Argonauts. The Argos have won more championships than all of the other Toronto teams combined! This weekend is the Eastern Final versus Montreal, and hopefully they will be playing in the Grey Cup game in Hamilton on November 19.  So I conclude this week’s message with the time honoured cheer – AAARRRGGOOOSSSS!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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President’s Message – Aloha!

As I write this, I have just returned to my room from a sunset cruise off of Kaanapali Beach, Maui. But even as I finish up my bucket list trip to Hawaii, I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks for our club. This coming Thursday is our overnight bus trip sign-up night. The great thing about our overnight trips is that there are many more spaces than on charters. I plan on personally registering for the Holiday Valley trip!

This weekend myself and other volunteers will be representing the club at the Toronto Snow Show at the International Centre. If you are at the show, please stop by the HPSC booth and say hello! I personally feel that it is important for the future of our club that we continue to be seen as part of the Ontario snow sport industry. One of the best ways to gain new members is through direct interpersonal communication and that means being at the show.

As we get closer to the actual season, I am looking forward to meeting many of you at club activities including the last few weeks of SkiFit, at an upcoming New Member/Information night in November, as well as the Holiday event in early December. Please keep reading SnoBiz for all updates and  announcements.

Just a reminder that our Early Bird renewal price of $155 (+tax) ends next Tuesday. Starting on Wednesday, November 1 the renewal rate reverts back to the full price of $170 (+tax). Please don’t miss out!

If you were wondering, in place of my usual photo, this is the Tiki of Happiness. According to the note “Keep the Happiness Tiki by your side, it will bring happiness and joy to you and others around you.” After the last three years, we finally appear to be getting back to a normal season. I am hoping this Tiki will bring all of us Happiness and Joy this coming season.

Mahalo

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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President’s Message – Rebounding

I can’t believe that January is already over! And for the first time in three seasons we are concentrating on running trips and not other issues; looking more at weather forecasts than public health alerts. In the last two weeks we have run all scheduled day trips, two successful charter trips, our very popular Holiday Valley weekend, and, as well, members are currently in Tremblant till this Thursday. 

After a bit of a slow start, it appears that the snow has finally arrived, resulting in good conditions in ski country. To avoid disappointment, please sign up for trips early. If the trip is full, put your name on the waitlist – don’t worry you will not be charged for joining the waitlist. If there is enough interest, we will add a second bus, if possible. 

And we are planning new social events – the next being a Toronto Marlies game on the afternoon of Family Day (February 20) at Scotiabank Arena, against the Utica Comets. The Marlies are one of the top teams in the AHL, and lead the North Division, while the Comets are in second place. Utica are the farm team for the New Jersey Devils. Come see future Maple Leafs for a faction of the cost!  Click here to register. 

Finally, I am very pleased to mention that our membership number has finally rebounded to pre-COVID level, which at the time had been a high for at least the previous eight years. Included are more than 330 new members. Thank you to all of you for joining the club this season.  As I have said in the past, people join HPSC for various sports, but return year after year due to the friendships they make. 

I truly hope that all of you are enjoying this season! 

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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President’s Message – Time to Have Fun!!

Dear HPSC Friends,

It has finally happened – we are back to our regular schedule!! 

This past Saturday we held our traditional Double Double day with lessons both in the morning and afternoon at Mount St. Louis.  And we were finally, after a number of weeks of disappointment, able to run cross-country trips due to the recent snowfall in resort country. Thank you to Heather for all her work in juggling the cross-country schedule to get the first trips run. This coming weekend our initial charter trips of the season leave for Jackson Hole and for France. I hope everyone has a fantastic time!

Just a reminder, for those who haven’t been on our day trips in a few seasons:  Last year we had to adjust our registration deadlines due to our change in bus company.  For weekend trips (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) the deadline is now on the Tuesday prior at 6 pm. The deadline for Wednesday trips is the previous Thursday at 6 pm. To avoid disappointment please sign up early. If the trip is full, please sign up on the waitlist. If there is enough interest, we will add a second bus (which also means using our two additional pick-up locations of Queen’s Quay and Liberty Village).

Regarding cross-country day trips, please make sure to read the trip descriptions carefully and follow updated posts on our Facebook group, regarding when trips open for registration. Due to the uncertainty of conditions, at least so far this season, registration is being opened when we are sure the resort conditions will allow us to run trips. This is to avoid having to process a large number of refunds which costs the club in credit cards fees.

Also as a reminder, if you need to cancel a day trip you have registered for, please send a message to cancellations@hpsc.ca.

To end on a personal note, I am very disappointed that I will once again miss skiing and snowshoeing this season. According to an MRI I had just before Christmas, I have re-ruptured my quad tendon and I needed to have surgery repeated on January 11. I am currently in a full leg cast for the next 5 weeks and will then start physio once again. However, I will try to be at as many club events as possible while I recover. 

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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Basic Information About Concussion

We love to ski! The twists and turns, the pivoting and edging, the thrill of the next hill and run, the fresh outdoors, the thrill of the ride!  While we take precautions to ski safely, unfortunately, accidents sometimes do happen.  It is good to have some basic information about concussion awareness.  We minimize the impact of the severity of any head injury by wearing helmets. 

Of note, loss of consciousness is not necessary for a person to have sustained a concussion.  While there has been controversy in the scientific community regarding criteria for traumatic brain injury and concussion, what is now commonly accepted is that among several criteria is some alteration in awareness associated with biomechanical forces to the head sufficient to cause neuropathological changes to the brain.

The good news is that for cases of mild concussion/mild traumatic brain injury, the physiological disruptions to the brain (and associated impairments in attention, memory, and information processing speed)  generally resolve for the majority of individuals within days or weeks.   

 Symptoms associated with concussion include (but are not limited to):  headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness.  As well, there may be impairments in orientation, short term memory, and information processing speed.

As first line responders, ski patrol may ask some basic questions about a person’s awareness and orientation.  For example, asking the person’s name, day of the week, birthdate, etc.  This information may be of subsequent benefit if further cognitive testing is conducted.  The following link shows some of the questions on a standardized assessment of concussion.

https://newburghschools.org/files/departments/athletics/ConcussionTestForm.pdf

Given that loss of consciousness is not a requirement for a determination for sustaining a concussion, it is always good to speak to ski patrol if you have had a fall and hit your head with any sufficient force which you think might be of concern.  Remember:  in the vast majority of cases, the natural course of events is for the brain to fully heal when there have been minor physiological disruptions.

Jonathan Siegel

HPSC Instructor

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2022/23 Downhill Day Trips Schedule

We are happy to announce the downhill day trips schedule for the upcoming season!

The coming season has 50 downhill day trips scheduled including a special Family Day trip to Beaver Valley. As in the past we will be following our usual schedule of trips on Saturday to Mount St. Louis (MSLM), Sunday and Monday to Blue Mountain, and Wednesday to the various private clubs. 

The first scheduled trips are December 10 to Mount St. Louis and December 11 to Blue Mountain.  The first Monday trip is January 9.  The Wednesday trips start on January 11.  There are three Wednesday trips to Alpine, and two each to Osler and Craigleith, and one to Devil’s Glen and one to Blue Mountain. Later in the season we have a number of TBD Wednesday trips since the private clubs cannot guarantee they will be open. 

Final prices for the day trips will be confirmed in the next number of weeks.

Hoping you have a fantastic season! 

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Last chance to try out roller skiing! 

Looking for a way to get in shape for ski season or work on your technique in the off-season? Roller skiing is cross-country ski specific dryland training that will achieve both goals! It’s also a fun sport in its own right.

In conjunction with Ski Fit, HPSC is offering members a chance to try it out in High Park. In small groups (we have four pairs of roller skis), we will cover safety, the basic manoeuvres, how to slow and stop, how to cross uneven pavement, and point out hazards and how to avoid them. We will also cover equipment and where to get it and good places in the city you could ski.

Our last chance to try is

  • Oct. 22 9:30-10:15 am

Location: High Park. Meet at the Grenadier Cafe parking lot.

Equipment:

  • Bike helmet (mandatory)
  • Ski boots (mandatory – see below under booking)
  • Gloves (any kind, mandatory)
  • Optional, but highly recommended: knee and elbow pads. Spills on concrete can happen leading to scrapes. But we will be doing slow manoeuvres on flat pavement.

Prerequisites: being a current HPSC member (this will be checked), the above equipment, experience skiing on snow (skate and/or classic, whatever roller skiing you want to try), and a desire to learn!

To book your spot: email crosscountry@hpsc.ca with the date you are interested and the type of ski boots you will bring (skate NNN, classic NNN or classic/skate SNS with the older Profil bindings that have one metal bar. If you have SNS bindings with two bars, our roller skis won’t work). If you have your own roller skis, you are welcome to attend. He

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President’s Message – Welcome to Fall!

I have always loved the fall!! Last week we officially moved from summer to autumn with a very distinct change in the temperature. The fall also means moving closer to the ski season and more activities of the club. 

Over the last month or so, many of you have expressed your faith in HPSC by renewing your membership or joining for the first time. Thank you!  We have also held a successful social pub night and there have been two very successful long trip sign-up nights – some spots are still available on a number of charter trips. SkiFit has resumed every Saturday morning in High Park with a good number of core participants as well as some new and potential members each week. We held our Annual General Meeting last week as a hybrid meeting with members attending both in person at the National Yacht Club and virtually on Zoom.

Over the next couple of months, the long bus trips will open for registration (October 13), we will be releasing our day trips schedule (as they are finalized with the resorts), holding information nights for members and potential members (TBD), communicating what the procedures will be for day trips and for the first time in many years, we will have a booth at the Toronto Ski + Snowboard Show (October 28-30).Finally, since the next edition of SnoBiz will not be sent until after the holiday weekend, I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Cheers!
Justin Graham
President
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President’s Message – The season of renewal


Dear HPSC friends,

September has always been a time of renewal.  When we were children, September was the beginning of the school year (and still is for many of our members who are teachers).  It is also the time when our HPSC memberships come due.  If you have not yet done so, please take advantage of our early bird rate of $150 until October 31.  

Over the last week, I was very happy to meet up with many of you at our first social event of the season on Thursday September 8 at The Swan, and at the first SkiFit of the year on Saturday.  The turnout for both events clearly shows there is pent up demand for social connection and makes me very optimistic for the upcoming season.  

I was also pleased to meet so many new members. Thank you all for coming out.  We are planning more socials for over the fall and winter.  And of course, SkiFit happens every Saturday morning in High Park – registration opens each Tuesday prior to the session.  

One of the new members asked me what makes HPSC different, and I mentioned what I have said many times, that HPSC is a community.  That people may join the club for a sport, but what keeps them returning is the friends they make, the community of fellow members.  

You should have also received the official notification regarding the Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday September 20.  We are once again holding a hybrid meeting with an in-person option (at the National Yacht Club) and a virtual option (via Zoom).  The AGM is an important event for the running of the club at which we present the financial results of the previous season, as well as discussion of what the club accomplished.  The AGM also is when changes to the by-laws are approved (or rejected).  All those registered to attend will be able to vote (both in-person and on Zoom).  If you have not yet done so please register to attend the AGM here.   If you are not able to attend, please fill out a proxy and send to president@hpsc.ca.

Justin Graham
President, HPSC
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Last Call for the Ikon Pass!

Our Ikon Pass Group Sale is scheduled to wind up September 1. The club has organized trips to numerous Ikon Pass destinations such as Jackson Hole, Banff, Killington, and three trips to Tremblant. And of course, many day trips to Blue Mountain.  

Our Group Sale not only gets you a better price, it also gets you a chance to win an Ikon Base Pass (or equivalent refund)!  

The Ikon Pass provides access to 50 destinations, so if you wish to venture out on your own in addition to the club trips, there are many options. Plus, there are numerous discounts on food, beverages, and retail shops (10% for the Ikon Base Pass, and 15% with the Ikon Pass).  

Adventure Assurance comes free this year with every 22/23 Ikon Pass. Designed to alleviate uncertainty while providing flexibility for Ikon Pass holders, Adventure Assurance gives pass holders credits in the case of COVID-related closures and the option to defer the purchase price of an unused pass by December 8, no questions asked.  

Have you already purchased a Blue Mountain Pass? The 5×7 Pass is quite popular with our members. If you purchased this pass and are now realizing that the Ikon Pass would have worked better for you, I have good news. If you buy an Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass, you can get a refund for your 5×7 Pass! The Ikon Pass gives you unlimited access to Blue Mountain 7 days a week, with no blackouts.  

If you have already purchased an Ikon Base Pass, you can still upgrade to the full Ikon Pass. Simply login to your Ikon Pass account, View Account, and look for the upgrade link near the top of the page. It is presently $400 to upgrade to the Ikon Pass, and $250 to upgrade to the Ikon Base Plus Pass ($CDN).  

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/compare-passes

Contact Russ Harding at ikon@hpsc.ca for further details if you are interested or have questions.

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Special note regarding Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is one of the greatest ski destinations in the western USA with one of the very best authentic western towns.  There are many excellent dining experiences with local gourmet choices like elk, bison, local trout and of course beef.  If you are a fan of the Yellowstone series, you will enjoy the fabulous scenery and proximity to the Elk Refuge and possible day trips to Yellowstone Park. 

Our HPSC trip is in peak season, January 21-28, 2023 and the price without lifts is only $1,705.  You’ll need to add lifts if you do not have an Ikon Base Plus pass.  The cost of the 5-day lift pass from the tour operator is $1,125 (a sixth day for an additional $230). 

If you have not yet purchased an Ikon Pass and are interested, please contact Russ Harding (ikon@hpsc.ca) to purchase an HPSC group Ikon Pass.  The sale price for the Ikon Base Pass is $1,039 pass and then you will need to upgrade to the Ikon Base Plus for an additional $250.  Note that the HPSC group sale is scheduled to end as of September 1, so sign up now!  

If you have already purchased the Ikon Base pass and are interested in upgrading to the Ikon Base Plus pass for the Jackson Hole trip, the cost is an additional $250 or if you would like to upgrade to the Ikon Pass, the additional cost is $400.   All passes also provide full access to Blue Mountain and Tremblant.

Reservations are required to guarantee access to the resort. This applies to all Ikon Pass holders as well as advanced ticket purchasers. Reservations are scheduled to open as of August 1. The LTC tracks major holidays, and there are none during our week in Jackson Hole. So, we do not expect any issue with trying to the desired dates for reservations, though we recommend making your reservations as soon as you can.

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President’s Message – The Dog Days of August

August 17, 2022

Growing up mid-August was always a bit exciting for me. The CNE was about to open, which meant visits to Toronto by my aunts, uncles and cousins; the weather would start to turn a little more comfortable (I really hate hot humid weather); and the last two weeks before Labour Day were always my Dad’s vacation period.  Labour Day has always represented a new year for me.  As a member of High Park Ski Club, mid-August also means we are starting to gear up for the upcoming season.  For example, this week’s edition begins our regular two-week cycle of SnoBiz until the end of next April.

Over the next few week’s, you will be receiving information on renewing your club membership for the upcoming season.  The good news is that we are keeping membership fees at the same level as last year  – early bird rate until October 31st of $150 (+tax); after November 1st the fee increases to $170 (+tax).  New member rate is $150 (+tax) for the entire season. 

As you will read below, something new this year, we have a number of our charter trips going on sale next week.  As long as you are a valid member for the 2021/22 season (or have renewed your membership early) you can sign up; however, you have up to September 15th to renew your membership to keep your spot.  Please read the Long Trip article in SnoBiz carefully.

Regarding our planned COVID protocols for the upcoming season. As mentioned in the last SnoBiz, the club will still require members to wear masks while on buses for all trips.  However, moving with current public health guidelines, we will no longer require proof of vaccination to participate in any club activity.   The caveat of course is that if public health rules change, HPSC will need to adjust protocols.  As well, as noted in the Long Trips article in SnoBiz, members will need to still follow all vaccination requirements and rules for the locations travelling to.  For example, vaccination proof is still currently needed for non-US citizens entering the United States.  While we are not requiring vaccination proofs this year we still encourage all members to do whatever they can to stay healthy. 

On a different topic, If you have ever thought of becoming an HPSC Ski or Snowboard instructor, now is the time.  The club is currently recruiting for new instructors.  If you are interested, please contact our Director of Snow School, David Manning at downhillsnowschool@hpsc.ca . Due to the planning required for the season, applications need to be received by August 28th.   

September also kicks off a number of club activities – SkiFit will begin as usual on the first Saturday after Labour Day (September 10th).  As in the past couple of years registration will open each week on the Tuesday prior to that week’s session.  This year we will also be able to revive our weekly brunch after SkiFit at The Grenadier Café.

We are planning a Social event in early September (details to come in the next SnoBiz). 

And finally, please mark September 20th on your calendars for the club’s Annual General Meeting.  The AGM will be held in person at the National Yacht Club with an online Zoom option as we did for the Election night last April.  The official announcement will be sent in the next couple of weeks.

I am really looking forward to chatting with as many members over the next coming months as we prepare for what we all hope will be a fantastic year on the snow!

Cheers!

Justin Graham, President

High Park Ski Club

President@HPSC.ca

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Announcing the New HPSC Ikon Group Pass Program!

And the chance to win back the cost of your pass!

High Park Ski Club is pleased to announce that our members can now purchase their Ikon pass through a group sales program.

All HPSC members who purchase a pass through the program, including those renewing their current pass, will have a chance to win a rebate of the cost of Ikon Base Pass*. Eligibility for the rebate program is not retroactive for passes already purchased or renewed.

For those purchasing a new Ikon pass there is a $50 discount off the list price. (Renewals are at the posted renewal rate.)

If you are interested in the program or would like more information, please contact long time HPSC member Russ Harding who is organizing the program for us, at Ikon@hpsc.ca.

Russ will add you to the list of HPSC members purchasing a pass which is shared with Ikon for verification. If you are purchasing a new pass, you will receive a unique discount code for you to use when ordering your pass directly on the Ikon website.

For those renewing a pass, to qualify for the rebate program draw, you must register with Russ prior to renewing your pass directly on the Ikon website.

The group sales program is only available until August 31, 2022. However, list price rates for new passes and for renewal will increase at different times throughout the spring and summer, so for the past price, purchase/renew as early as possible.

Again, if you are interested in a new Ikon pass or plan to renew your pass, please contact Russ Harding at Ikon@hpsc.ca.

*NOTE: The rebate offer is available only if at least 20 members purchase a pass through the HPSC Ikon Group sales program (including renewals). The number of rebate winners depends on the number of passes that are purchased. For example, for every 20 passes purchased through the program, we receive one rebated pass. The draw for rebate winner(s) will be held in November.
https://www.ikonpass.com/

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So you are vaccinated . . . now what?

As announced earlier in the summer, the HPSC Board made the decision that to protect the health of other club members and volunteers, in order to participate in most in-person club events this season you will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID.  

The first step will be to attest to your vaccination status on your member profile page, at the same time you acknowledge the Code of Conduct, Waiver, and Rowan’s law declaration after September 1st when membership renewal occurs.  Any falsification of vaccination status will be considered as a breach of the HPSC Code of Conduct and will be subject to disciplinary review. 

However, without confirmation of vaccination status the Long Trips Committee will not be able to arrange roommates or run close to full buses, that allow us to control the costs of trips. Or allow other portfolios to ensure only those fully vaccinated are participating in events. 

Therefore, as a second step at some point during the fall, we are asking that members provide our membership team with proof of your vaccination status (i.e. 2nd shot vaccination certificate or federal vaccination passport announced last week) by emailing it to vac@hpsc.ca.  Only those on the membership team will have access to these emails and once they confirm your status by reviewing your document, all of your documents and emails will be deleted.  The club will not be storing your private vaccination record.

PLEASE HOLD OFF SENDING YOUR DOCUMENTATION UNTIL AFTER SEPTEMBER 1 WHEN RENEWALS OPEN. 

For those concerned about privacy, on the vaccination certificate, we only need to see the following information: Name; Date of 2nd vaccination; Agent (COVID-19); Dose – 2 of 2.  All of the rest of the information can be blacked out. 

If you feel uncomfortable in emailing your documentation, we will also be arranging for numerous in-person events (i.e. after each week’s SkiFit; other nights during the week at locations around the city) when you can show the membership team your proof, and they will note your status.  If you cannot meet in person and are concerned about emailing your documents, we can arrange for a personal Zoom call where you can show your document.  We will NOT be recording or taking screen shots.

Please note that to register for charter or long trips at our signup nights in September and October you will need to have at least attested on your member profile that you are fully vaccinated. As with all members you will also need to provide your vaccination document at some point prior during the fall. If you are not fully vaccinated by trip signup night, you will not be able to register for trips until you are (if spots are still available).  If you have not had your second shot yet and want to sign up for charter or long trips, please arrange for your second shot so as soon as possible. At that point you can update your member profile page and send in/arrange to show us your vaccination proof document.

As mentioned earlier, you do not have to send in your vaccination proof right away.  If you feel more comfortable doing so when the Federal vaccination passport becomes available that is fine.  We just need to review your document prior to your first in-person event (please allow at least 5 days for our team to review and confirm your status – we are all volunteers so it might take time to get to).  If you are signing up for a long or charter trip it should be before full payment.

For charter trips, you will likely be required to provide the newly announced federal vaccination passport to our tour company partners. As well, last week the Federal government also announced that proof of vaccination will be required for travel, including domestically, by plane, train, etc. And it makes sense to assume that long distance bus trips should also be included. 

If you CANNOT be vaccinated due to a medical condition, and can provide a doctors note to our membership team simply stating this (without any medical diagnosis information) you will be able to have limited participation in club events this year, (i.e. drive up for a day trip and participate in lessons).  However, as announced earlier you will not be able to register for any long or charter trips, or to go on the bus for daytrips.

We acknowledge that members have the free choice to not be vaccinated; however, we as the directors of the club have the duty to protect the health and safety of our club members and volunteers to the best of our ability.  Until the pandemic is declared over in Canada, the best option for protection and moving to a more ‘normal’ environment is vaccination.  If you are dissatisfied with this policy, we are truly sorry.  We can, upon request, if you choose, to defer your membership for another year or refund your membership fee (however, your club seniority would be maintained), and we will welcome you back once pandemic measure are lifted.     

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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Last Call for Valle Nevado!

While the remaining charters and bus trips in March have filled up, don’t miss your chance to experience winter in the southern hemisphere and ski in Chile.  A couple of spots remain and we are looking to match one male to share a room. Didn’t get as much use out of your Ikon pass? This is your last chance to use it in Valle Nevado, Chile!

Thanks to the 2024/2025 season trip leaders for a great year! Our club is run by volunteers and being a trip leader can be very rewarding and a great way to give back to the club. You need some organization, leadership, computer skills and the ability to do a bit of problem solving if something unexpected occurs. We provide training and support. If you had a great experience on an HPSC trip, and would like to become a trip leader for the 2025/2026 season, drop me a line! 

One spot available!

Space available on the Tremblant Midweek Trip (March 16-21) for a single male to match roommates. Please contact the trip leader directly (see the Trip Leaders page under the Long Trips tab) or register on the waitlist.
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President’s Message – Only a few more weeks to enjoy winter!

As we move to Daylight Savings Time, we also approach the end of our ski and snowshoe season. However, these last few weeks of the season can be some of the most enjoyable with soft snow and sunshine. Time to sit outside at the end of day and enjoy the warmer temperatures with your fellow HPSC members. 

Do not make the mistake of assuming that because there is a lack of snow in Toronto that the season has ended. There is still plenty of base on the hills to keep the resorts open for a number of weeks to come. The only reason for resorts to shut down early is a lack of skiers and boarders!  So please keep signing up for the day trips – we will keep running buses so long as we have enough members who want to go. 

While we contemplate the end of the season there are a couple of events to keep on your schedule for April and May! We will be holding our annual Election night in April (date is TBD at this point). Official notice will be sent out at least 2 weeks prior. 

The other big event to keep in your calendar is our highly anticipated 75th Anniversary Gala which will be held on Friday, May 9th. The location is the historic Round Room of The Carlu on the top floor of College Park.  “Originally opened in 1930 as “Eaton’s Seventh Floor,” The Carlu was spearheaded by businessman Timothy Eaton. Lady Eaton, who aspired to bring high society and world-class culture to Toronto, was actively involved in the planning and design of Eaton’s College Street and the Seventh Floor. To realize her desire for style and elegance, she commissioned famed French architect, Jacques Carlu. Carlu was renowned for his masterpieces in the Art Moderne style, known as streamlined monumentalism for its clean lines and grand scale. In fact, it is said that the sheer beauty and unique shape of The Round Room may have inspired the design of The Rockefeller Center’s iconic Rainbow Room. The Carlu is recognized as one of Toronto’s best examples of Art Moderne architecture and has been designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.”  Tickets will be on sale shortly with an Early Bird price till the end of March.

Looking forward to a few more days on the hills and meeting many of you at our upcoming social events including our St. Patrick’s Day event this coming Saturday night. 

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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Exciting Race News! Save the Date – Saturday, March 15th!

Our regular race season wrapped up with a bang on Feb 8th at MSLM—huge thanks to all our racers and incredible instructors who made it happen! But we’re not done yet…

The HPSC Club Championship Race is Coming! Join us at MSLM (Moonstone side) for an epic afternoon of racing, fun, and prizes! The action kicks off after lunch from 1:30–3:30 PM, followed by snacks and a prize draw!

We need TWO buses to make it happen—so don’t wait! Let’s make this the best race of the season! 

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And the winners are…

 
The ELAN Wildcat Black Edition ladies’ skis and men’s Wingman skis have been picked up by the two very happy winners of the Merit Travel draw, Maria Rusin and Liam Lacy!  Thanks again to Merit Travel for providing these skis in honour of the HPSC 75th anniversary season.

It’s been a great 75th season for HPSC with trips all over the world. Still to come in March are trips to Banff, Jasper, Killington, Mont Tremblant (spots still available)  and of course the special summer trip to the southern hemisphere, to the Ikon pass resort of Valle Nevado, Chile. Don’t miss this bucket list trip, hosted by Skican, which not only includes skiing but also a true cultural experience. Only a few spots remain, so sign up now!
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President’s Message – The real rebound year!

Ever since March 2020 we have been waiting for a rebound from the impacts of Covid and the pandemic. Last year should have been that season, but the lousy conditions interfered. This season finally feels like we have turned the corner and returned to our normal operations. In fact, we have almost reached our pre-Covid membership level (which had been a record number for at least the previous decade).  We are only about 15 short of that number – and will likely surpass it if we count late joining members (after March 1). (We actually can’t officially count these new members in this year’s numbers since they will be included in next year’s membership.) In any case, it has been a successful year.

Speaking of late joining members, if you have any family, friends or colleagues who you have been trying to recruit to the club, please let them know if they join March 1 or later, they can take advantage of the rest of this season’s activities, in addition to being members for all of next year. The new member rate remains at $155 (+HST).

As I mentioned in the last SnoBiz, our annual election night is approaching in April with a large number of the board positions coming up for election, including the position of President. Since we are finally turning a corner to a more normal operation and since my time as President has mostly been sidelined by outside issues, and that do not feel that I have accomplished what I had set out to do as President, I have decided that I will stand once again for President of the club. However, anyone who is qualified according to the by-laws can run for the position if they so desire.

Our club offers so many opportunities to enjoy winter and create new connections with people. Over the last month, I personally have been on our special 75th Anniversary charter trip to Sun Valley, Idaho; did a downhill day trip to Blue Mountain; and went snowshoeing to Arrowhead Provincial Park with our fabulous cross-country members. We also have some upcoming social events in March, including a bowling night (“Don’t bowl alone, come bowling with HPSC”); and a special early St. Patrick’s Day pub night on March 15. Both are open for registration.

Please remember that you are part of a community.  Which means that you need to understand that if you delay the bus you are inconveniencing many other members. Before you leave home, please make sure that you have everything you need for the day and that you have enough time to get to the stop early. Most of our pick-up locations do not allow the bus to sit and wait.  The bus schedule allows just enough time, when the bus arrives, for members to load their equipment and get on and no longer. So please be prepared to load as soon as the bus arrives.

Just a reminder we have a lot of information available on the website to answer most of your questions, including trip status (under the Downhill Day Trips tab and Cross-Country tab). Once you log in, this page provides all of the updated information regarding day trips a day or two prior, including if it is a go or cancelled, if walk-ons are allowed, at what stops, and if there is a walk-on fee, as well as the scheduled pick up times and locations. Before sending a message to the Info box please check the website first. Please realize that we are all volunteers (not staff) and most of us have full-time jobs, so we cannot monitor the info box full time. 

If you have any questions regarding any of the charter or overnight bus trips – please contact the trip leader instead of sending a message to the info box.  All of the trip leaders are listed under the Long Trips tab on the website. 

It is always surprising to me how short our actual season is. We plan for approximately 9 months of the year, so that we can ski, snowboard, or snowshoe for about 3 months. We are now about to enter our last month of snow activities. Enjoy it as much as possible – sign up for as many trips as possible. And remember that the conditions in Toronto do not usually reflect the conditions at the resorts. For example, Blue Mountain is reporting that they have a record base of snow this season which means that they should have enough snow to last to the end of the month at least.

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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Long Trips News!

In honour of the HPSC 75th Anniversary, we have a message to share from one of our key partners. 

Merit Travel / Ski Vacations and Elan Skis Canada are delighted to support the 75th Anniversary of HPSC. Our very sincere thanks to HPSC for their trust and loyalty to Merit Travel for the last 22 years.  Elan and Merit Travel enjoy the same never-ending determination, striving to be the best in the industry. As partners with HPSC, we are extremely excited to provide 2 pairs of Elan Skis (+ bindings) as prizes for your 75th Anniversary. 

Merit will make a draw from the HPSC members registered in their database for this season’s trips with Merit and the winners will be contacted directly.

And what a 75th anniversary season it is turning out to be!  Our club can truly say that we ski all over the world. The latest trip to be added is Valle Nevado. Chile, August 7 -14, 2025. Located in the Andes mountains in the southern hemisphere, but in the same time zone as Toronto, this is a true bucket list experience. Use your 2024/25 or 2025/26 Ikon pass for this ski and cultural experience. Included are 4 days of skiing high up in the Andes, a gourmet lunch and tasting at a Chilean winery, tours of Valparaiso, Santiago and Vina del Mar. Only a few spots remain, so sign up now!

Don’t miss your chance to ski with HPSC in Mont Tremblant on the two remaining trips, March 16-21 mid-week, and the annual year end weekend trip March 28-30.

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Going on a Day Trip or Long Trip?

This is turning out to be a busy season for cold and flu viruses. Just a reminder to be considerate of the well being of other members. If you are on a trip and are showing symptoms, kindly isolate yourself from the group. If this is not possible, please put on a mask.

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President’s Message – Halfway through a fabulous season!

It is hard to believe but we are already halfway through the season. And so far it has a been a fantastic year for both our alpine and nordic members. Since January we have not had to cancel a single trip – so thank you to all members who have been signing up for day trips. Please continue to do so! And thank you to all the volunteers for their work in making sure these trips run – ranging from the directors, trip coordinators and bus captains. And of course our HPSC instructors!

The feedback from the long trips has also been positive. Thank you to the Long Trips Committee and the volunteer trip leaders. Without these volunteers we would not be able to offer these group trips to our members.  As the leader of the Sun Valley trip, I know how much work is involved, especially when there may be some hiccups – such as flight cancellations. Our return trip through Chicago was cancelled and we ended up with an unexpected 8hr layover in San Fransico, before a red eye flight home.

The backbone of our club is volunteers – everything is done by your fellow members so that each of you can enjoy our day trips, long trips, socials, etc.  The core of our organizational structure is the Board of Directors. This coming April we will be holding our annual election where a number of the positions will be up for election. If you are interested in helping out the club and helping guide the direction of the club, please let me know.  We can discuss the various roles and possibly shadowing the current Director to better understand the role.

I want to thank all the members who have signed the e-waiver we sent out last week via PandaDoc.  For those who have not signed, we will be sending out a reminder shortly. And for those who have been asking, this is almost identical to the waiver we have asked members to acknowledge when they join the club or renew membership, and when they sign up for any trips, as well as to the waivers required by all ski resorts including Mount St. Louis Moonstone, Blue Mountain, the private clubs and by Ikon. The difference is that this one has been approved by our liability insurance broker. 

I am looking forward to seeing many of you on the buses, as well as at some of our upcoming social events including this coming Friday night Skating Night at Nathan Phillips Square and social at The Local Public Eatery. I will not be skating but will be at the social. Please watch for some further social events in March. 

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

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First Cross-Country Ski Team Race

The first XC Ski Team Race of the season took place at Highlands Nordic on January 18th with 23 enthusiastic competitors. 

Event 1 pitted two teams against each other: the Keele/Hwy7 bus vs. Yonge St. bus. Each team had to move a series of pylons down a 100m course in a train-like formation. The teams were evenly matched until the last few metres. The winning team was the Keele/Hwy 7 bus by less than 3 seconds.

Event 2 was a 3km race through “the maze” – personal times were recorded to see which team won. The prize once again went to the Keele/Hwy 7 bus. Everyone celebrated together with a hot chocolate après-ski. 

The next XC Ski Team Race is the March 9 trip to Highlands.
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Long Trips News

Trips to Japan, Val Gardena, Italy, Club Med Grand Massif, and Sun Valley, Idaho have either just departed, are in process or have returned. Coming soon are Sun Peaks, Mont Tremblant, Eastern Townships, Newfoundland XC, Lake Placid combo and Banff.

Pricing for our 75th Anniversary Ski Experience from August 6-14, 2025 is now available. The land only price is $3,750. Watch for details on the website. The trip includes all transfers, 1 night in Vina del Mar on the pacific coast with sightseeing in Valparaiso, 4 days of high-altitude ski in/out skiing, 4 nights in Valle Nevado, followed by 2 nights in Santiago. Chile is in the same time zone as Toronto, so no lost time due to jet lag! A delicious breakfast is included daily, 4 full dinners, 1 amazing lunch at the winery, wine tasting, and appetizers on the first night.

The trip will be hosted by the owner of SKICAN, who has been there several times and will ensure that all of the elements of this trip run smoothly and will lead a walking tour of Santiago. This is a great destination for intermediate and advanced skiers. I’ve started a list of those who have a serious interest in this trip and will reach out to confirm their spots now that we have pricing. Due to the short timeline to book it, you will be paying the tour operator directly for this trip. We can have up to 20 members on this trip, so don’t hesitate to let me know if you have not already done so at longtrips@hpsc.ca. Airfare will be booked separately to allow flexibility to extend your stay in South America or ski at another South American ski resort, such as Portillo. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy this bucket list destination with other HPSC members!

You can sign up on the website, add your name to the waiting list, or reach out to the trip leader to find out if there is a spot for you due to a cancellation. Contact information can be found under the Long Trips tab.

Kim Wiebe
Long Trips Director