Category: Social

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HPSC Election Results – Announcing the new Board of Directors

On Wednesday April 27th we held a very successful hybrid election event, with members both in person at the National Yacht Club and on a live Zoom meeting.

All nomination forms were received as required by 7 pm EDT, while quorum was achieved by 7:15 pm (including those in the room, via Zoom, and a number of proxies received).  At that time, Election Chair Chris Bell called the meeting to order. 

All positions on the Board were up for election. All positions had just one candidate who were in turn voted in, as per our Bylaws, by a show of hands (those online use the raised hand icon).   Incumbent directors could choose to run for a 1 or 2-year term.  

A strong board is essential in the smooth running of the club, especially during the challenging times we find ourselves in.  While we hope that next season will be closer to normal as we have learned there is no guarantee.

Thank you to the following members who have chosen to continue to serve our membership as Board members and to those who have stepped up and joined the Board for the coming year.  Without these dedicated volunteers the club could not function. 

POSITIONNAMETERM
PresidentJustin Graham2 years
Director of AdministrationKaren Snow1 year
Director of Alpine Skiing and SnowboardingDavid Manning1 year
Director of CommunicationsSuzanne de Grandpre2 years
Director of Cross-country Skiing and SnowshoeingHeather Steel2 years
Director of Downhill DaytripsAmy Lam2 years
Director of FinanceClark Seadon1 year
Director of ITAlex Radulescu1 year
Director of Long TripsKim Wiebe2 years
Director of MarketingRocco Romeo2 years
Director of Membership and VolunteersJack Ran2 years
Director of SocialJennifer Beatty2 years

A big thank you to Ruth Schefter who has been Director of Membership and Volunteers for the last four years, and to Erika Clark, Director of Downhill Daytrips for the last two years, for all of their hard work and dedication to the club.   Ruth and Erika both decided to step away from the board at the conclusion of their current terms but will be available to their successors to ensure a smooth transition.

A sincere thanks to long time HPSC member, Chris Bell, for being this year’s election Chair, and to our Director of IT, Alex Radulescu, for the fantastic set up allowing us to run a very smooth hybrid event with members both live at the National Yacht Club, as well as on Zoom.  We would also like to thank all the members who attended the event, either live, on Zoom, or who sent in a proxy vote.  All combined allowed us to reach the required quorum and therefore proceed with the election.  

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2022 HPSC Election Candidates

Candidate for President – Justin Graham

I have been very proud to be your President the last two years – years that have likely been the most challenging the club has ever faced.  Leading our very strong Board of Directors I believe that we have made the tough but correct decisions for the club, and that we have been transparent and fair in our decisions. 

I am very proud that despite the challenges we have faced we have been able to provide our members the opportunity to get out to enjoy the winter and to connect with fellow HPSC members, while following the public health guidelines. 

Last December after very short notice by our previous bus company (Pacific Western) that they were shutting down their Ontario operations, as President I was able to quickly locate and negotiate an agreement with a new bus partner (Attridge Coach Lines) in time for our 2022 season. 

Before becoming President in 2020 I participate in most of the activities of the club (most weekends on alpine daytrips; a couple of snowshoe trips per season; a couple of long trips per season; SkiFit in the fall; Climb the Mountain each year; and many social activities) which allowed me to develop a good sense of the various subgroups of members that make up our fantastic club. 

We really are only as strong as a club as the connections we make with each other!  My desire when first elected as President was to ensure that our members continued to develop these friendships and as a result strengthen our club.  However, during my term it has not been as conducive to achieving this goal as I would have liked, which is one of the reasons I would like to continue to be your President.   

HPSC Volunteer Experience

  • President (2020-22)
  • SkiFit group leader (Fall 2018-21)
  • Alpine Bus Captain (2017-2022)
  • Alpine Daytrips team lead as Assistant Director of Alpine Daytrips (2019/20 season)
  • W6 Killington trip – Trip Leader (February 2020)
  • HPSC Volunteer of the Year – Gold (2019/20); Silver (2018/19); Bronze (2017/18)
  • Alpine Daytrips – Bus Captain co-oridnator (2018/19)
  • Re-wrote Alpine Bus Captain Training Manual (2018/19; 2020/21)
  • Assisted Communications and Marketing teams by creating and editing a lot of the website content (2018/19)
  • Assisted Social Director in planning and organizing social events (Fall 2018)
  • Continuous member since 2007; pervious member 1987-1993

Profession and Education

  • Professional public opinion/market researcher for more than 25 years
  • MA, Public Policy and Administration
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing major  

Candidate for Director of Administration – Karen Snow

I grew up in Barrie and first learned to ski at Horseshoe. I used to go night skiing occasionally, but I didn’t really take up skiing until I moved to Toronto.

A friend of mine told me about High Park Ski Club in 2002 and I have been a member ever since.  When I joined, I was still snowplowing my way down the hill. Participating in the lessons has greatly improved my skiing and my confidence.  The HPSC instructors are well trained and really care about your progress. I still remember my first ski trip with the club to Quebec, what an experience! I look forward to many more trips. Not only does this club improve your skiing but it also enriches your social life.

Over the years I have volunteered on the Social Committee and as an Ambassador. In 2020, I decided to take on a larger role as Director of Administration to give back to a club that has given me so much.

Over the last two years, I guided the transition from a physical club house to our current virtual club house setup.  As well, in my role of Director of Administration last fall I conducted the successful search for a new liability insurance policy after we (and all other ski industry clients) were dropped by our previous insurance broker. 

[Incumbent Director of Administration 2020-22]

Candidate for Director of Communications – Suzanne de Grandpré

Having grown up in Alberta, I started skiing in Banff and Whistler during university. After a hiatus of a number of years, I moved to Toronto and wished to get back into skiing. I didn’t even know people skied in Ontario until I joined High Park Ski Club, of which I have been a continuous member since 1998.

My time in the club has consisted of everything from day trips, overnight bus trips and, of course, the charter trips which I eagerly anticipate every year! The club has given me the opportunity to ski in Europe and destinations in the U.S., both west and east. I have made many friends and gained many fond skiing memories over the years. The excellent instruction I received from our amazing instructors has taken my skiing to new levels.

As a volunteer, I have been Volunteer Coordinator, Social Director, co-trip leader and bus captain for many seasons.

When asked by the President to take over the position of Director of Communications, I was most honoured to join an extremely hardworking Board. My goal in continuing in this role is to provide members with clear and concise dissemination of information and to use our various platforms to enhance the club experience. I would like to thank my predecessor, Nemanja Davidovic, for his assistance as I transitioned into this role.

I look forward to continuing to serve the club as Director of Communications and working with this great team.

[Acting Director of Communication 2021-22]

Director of Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing – Heather Steel

I discovered the club in 2011 and haven’t looked back! I live outdoors in the summer and was looking for something to keep me active and having fun in the winter. I found the club online, and, having never cross country skied before, I took the plunge and joined.

The 2011 Scenic Caves New Year’s Eve trip was my first experience; I remember tons of snow and a very friendly welcome…and I was hooked! Since then, cross country skiing has become my primary winter activity, a sport I could not imagine living without, and the reason why winter is my favourite season.

In 2013, I became race director and in 2018, I passed my CANSI Level 1 and became an instructor. I also  became the Director of Cross-Country in 2018.  Joining the club has been an amazing experience in more ways than I could have imagined, with wonderful friendships formed and new skills developed (I can finally skate ski!). With everything the club has given me in the past 11 years, it’s important to me to give back and help us continue the amazing work we do.

I am particularly proud of the cross country side for developing a fun and supportive community of skiers. It’s my goal as Director to continue developing that community, working with the Board to introduce new people to cross country skiing and growing the volunteer ranks of our community. A project manager in my day job, I bring the leadership and organizational skills necessary for this type of role, combined with a tireless love (or, some might say, obsession) with cross country skiing. See you on the trails!

[Incumbent Director of Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing 2018-22]

Candidate for Director of Downhill Day Trips – Amy Lam

I love being active and being outdoors. In past winters, I casually went skiing with friends, but never took any lessons or joined a club. In 2018, I wanted to improve my skiing skills and meet other skiers. I googled “ski club” and found High Park Ski Club’s website.

Since being a member, I have been blown away with the quality of lessons and trips the club offers. My skiing has greatly improved since taking lessons with the awesome HPSC instructors. In my second year I started to volunteer as bus captain for Saturday alpine trips, which I also did this season. I have such a blast meeting members, and being part of such a positive, active and winter-loving community.  In 2020 I decided to stand for the Director of Social Activities, since I love seeing the joy that social gatherings bring to members. While that has not been possible during the pandemic, I have learned a lot being part of the Board of Directors in how decisions are made and how the club runs. 

When Erika Clark decided to not seek re-election as Director of Downhill Day Trips, I was very honoured to be asked by both the President and by Erika to consider running for Director of Day Trips. 

I look forward to moving the club back to a more normal downhill season next year. 

[Director of Social 2020-22]

Candidate for Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding Director (Snow School) – David Manning

When I joined HPSC in 2006 as a first-time skier, I thought I’d learn to ski and have a better winter. Little did I know that the club would change my life! High Park gave me the gift of skiing and snowboarding, training as an instructor, and an amazing circle of friends to share this gift with. My commitment to the club is to give an exceptional experience to the next generation of downhill skiers and riders. Backed by our talented snow school director and executive, I empower our snow school to successfully meet the needs of our learners. My qualifications include attaining CSIA level 3 partial (teaching), CSCF Entry Level, CASI-2 partial, ICP-2, and a master of education from Athabasca University.

[Incumbent Director of Snow School – 2020-22]

Candidate for Director of Finance – Clark Seadon

Skiing continues to be a huge source of adventure and excitement in my life. I started as a downhill skier, ski raced for my local club in Edmonton, then while living in Vancouver I threw in a little back-country skiing, and after that lots of family ski trips from Toronto.  Now I get the most enjoyment and challenge out of XC skiing which is why I joined the Club three years ago.  I have been absolutely delighted to find so many people who enjoy winter.

In terms of Finance, I am currently the Club’s Finance Director and am running for another year.  Over the last two years we’ve implemented faster payment processes and I’m looking forward to refining and improving these.  I find my career as a banker and being a CPA/CA has stood me in good stead.  Overall, I continue to look forward to helping members enjoy skiing while ensuring the Club remains financially sound.

[Incumbent Director of Finance – 2020-22]

Candidate for Director of Information Technology – Alex Radulescu

My first time on the slopes was when I was around age 11, learning to ski at Glen Eden. By the time I was able to ski comfortably down blues, I decided to try snowboarding. Maybe I was overconfident, but I was going down greens on my first day! Although by the time I was in high school, I stopped all winter sports until after I finished my post secondary education. I now want to perfect both my snowboarding and skiing, so you’ll be seeing me switching every week.

I have been the Director of IT since 2018 and still excited to give back to the club.  I’m volunteering to help maintain our platforms and try to provide easy to use solutions for both the volunteers and members to make it a more enjoyable experience! If you have any suggestions or want to help out please reach out.  

[Incumbent Director of IT – 2018-2022]

Candidate for Director of Long Trips – Kim Wiebe

Long trips are my passion and after working as your acting Long Trips Director since last fall, I’m delighted to confirm my dedication to this position in an election.  Being nominated by the prior Long Trips Director to take on his role, is a great show of confidence.

It’s a big portfolio but I have a solid record of achievement planning bus and charter trips for the past 15 years and have been the leader of the small team who plan and execute charters within the Long Trips Committee (LTC). 

I have the support of the Long Trips Committee (LTC) to continue as their leader and have the support of the current HPSC Board and President to continue as Long Trips Director. 

Being involved in negotiating charter and bus contracts is exciting but this role comes with a lot of detailed administration, people management, decision making and a major commitment of time.  Although previous Director, Bill Bates, had been hoping to pass on the torch earlier, he waited until I retired from my full-time job (as an accountant) to start fully transitioning the role.

Planning successful trips for the club means evolving with change and keeping your finger on the pulse of where members want to go.  Having personally skied at most of the destinations is a key factor in knowing what can work.  Providing a variety of trips that will appeal to our long-term members, new members, Ikon pass holders, retirees and working members means planning for weekend, mid-week and week-long trips across a spectrum of price points.

Establishing relationships based on honesty, trust and integrity is critical in obtaining the best deals from our ski industry suppliers.  Members deserve fairness and the knowledge that policies and pricing is being fairly applied to all members without special exceptions.

My pledge is to continue to offer the best trips, to the best destinations and best overall value for our members.

[Acting Director of Long Trips – 2021-22]

Candidate for Director of Marketing – Rocco Romeo

My first skiing experience happened when I was 21 years old. A college friend convinced myself and another friend that he could teach us to ski. That weekend we drove up to Horseshoe Valley. With rented skies standing on top of the top of the hill we waited for our first lesson from our experienced skier. He said “watch me” and began to ski down the hill. We watched him slowly disappear from sight and then we both turned to face each other. Dumb faced and after some deliberation we decide to give it a try. Sliding and purposely falling down to control our speed we managed to complete the run. Surprisingly that day didn’t make me stop going but helped me find the joy of skiing.

I joined HPSC in 2010 and was immediately impressed with the lessons I was getting from the ski instructors. I looked forward to the morning lessons and eating lunch together made it possible to develop friendships and ski together in the afternoon.

In 2012 I became a HPSC instructor. I find teaching and passing on knowledge to our members to help them achieve their goals very rewarding. Not only has the club enriched my life I have made many lifelong friends along the way.

Previously I have volunteered on the Social Committee. Now I feel it’s time to give back in a larger capacity that will allow me to use my skill set. I am a Digital Marketing Designer. A creative thinker with experience building brand awareness and launching new products. My goal as the new Marketing Director will be to ensure the club is visible and the target audience is engaged.

Candidate for Director of Membership and Volunteers – Jack Ran

I grew up in downtown Toronto and got to ski about once a year as a child. Our family didn’t have a car, so accessing ski resorts became a much-anticipated event for me to enjoy around Christmas time. Then, as life got busy and the demands of school, sport, and other activities got in the way, I didn’t get to go again for many years. Once I graduated university, I started looking for ways to access ski resorts as a non-driver – another consequence of growing up downtown. This was the moment I discovered HPSC.

Since joining, I’ve participated in many day trips, from skiing to snowshoeing, and have had the most incredible time learning from great instructors and making new friends. I have profound appreciation for all the HPSC volunteers who make these incredible winter experiences possible for those like me and hope to pay it forward through volunteering for the club.

I hope I can make new members feel as welcomed as I did when I first joined!

[Jack has been shadowing our current Membership Director Ruth Schefter since January]

Candidate for Director of Social – Jennifer Beatty

I grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and learned to downhill ski in Banff. I have skied several hills in Banff, as well as in Golden and Whistler, BC.

I moved to Toronto in October 2018 for a job in marketing and was looking for something to keep me active in the winter. That’s when I discovered the High Park Ski Club and it’s been the best thing I’ve done since moving to Toronto! Having never cross-country skied before joining the club, I advanced from Classic 1 to Classic 3. This past season, I went on a number of downhill trips with the club.  I made some great friends and had tons of laughs along the way!

As a marketer in my day job, I was excited to use my skill set as Director of Marketing for the last two years.  However, I’ve viewed social events as a critical strategy for attracting and retaining members and enhancing the overall value proposition of the club, keeping our club strong for years to come! As part of the Board, over the last two years, I have provided many ideas and suggestions on possible social events for the club (which unfortunately due to the pandemic we were not able to do).

When asked by the President to consider taking on the Director of Social role I was excited to put my name forward.  I look forward to continuing to serve our members as part of the Board of Directors in this new role. 

[Director of Marketing 2020-22]

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What happens if you test positive after being on a HPSC trip?

As you may be aware, last year the Board of Directors prepared a detailed COVID Protocol document.  The document has been updated for the 2021/22 season and is posted on our website.

One area that members should be aware of is what to do if they test positive for COVID after being on a HPSC trip/event.

If a member tests positive within 14 days of being on a trip/event, they MUST contact the appropriate Director (Downhill Day Trips, Director of Cross-Country and Snowshoeing, Long Trips, Social) ASAP. You should inform the Director if you were in a lesson and the name of their instructor if possible. The club will then contact all possible close contacts in a lesson or on the bus.  You should contact any people you were with outside of the bus or lesson.    

All impacted members are encouraged to get a PCR COVID test and to self-isolate as recommended by public health guidelines. All affected members are put on 14-day suspension (from the date of possible exposure) from all club activities. The suspension will be lifted earlier if they are able to provide the club with a negative PCR test result. If a member on the contact list subsequently tests positive during the 14-day period, they must inform the club.  The original COVID positive member is suspended from all trips/club activities until official clearance is provided to the Director of Membership.

If the club experiences two or more cases of COVID-19 on a trip/event that are not from the same household, this is considered an outbreak. All trips/events in that portfolio of the club (Alpine or Cross-country, Social) will be immediately cancelled for 2 weeks.

If a second outbreak occurs, all trips for that portfolio of the club (Alpine or Cross-Country, Social) will be cancelled for the rest of the season. 

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President’s Message – Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

November 24, 2021

The Cowbell of Office – HPSC Information Night and Social, Liberty Common, Liberty Village, November 17, 2021 Photo by Amy Lam

HPSC Friends,

This week it is really finally feeling like winter is about to arrive.   And with it a new HPSC season. 

Over the last week, we held a very successful Club Information and Social Event in Liberty Village (thank you Amy), the last SkiFit of the season (thank you to John, George and Cynthia), and a successful on-line event, Cross-Country Skiing 101: Sliding on Skinny Skis (thank you Heather).  The cross-fit series continues until the end of the month (registration is open for the remaining session)(thank you to Michaela). 

We also found out this week that the federal government, as of November 30th is lifting the testing requirement for vaccinated Canadians returning to Canada from trips of less than 72 hours.  For the club this means that there will be no testing requirement for our weekend trip to Holiday Valley at the end of January. And on a higher level, the approval of vaccinations for children means that we are one step closer to the end of this pandemic and getting back to a much more normal season.  

Thank you as well to the almost 70% of current members who have provided their vaccination proof to the club.  A reminder that as of November 6th, members cannot register for any in-person events including socials, daytrips, or long trips if they have not had their vaccination status verified.  Please do so as soon as possible instead of waiting until you want to register for an event. 

As well, a reminder for those who did not join last season due to COVID, last year still counts towards you club seniority, but to retain it you need to rejoin this year.

I have said in the past, people may come to the club for a specific sport, but they return year after year because of the friends they make and the community that is HPSC.  This past year has challenged our ability to make those connections.  We sincerely hope that this coming season we are able to get back to providing opportunities for members to meet their new lifelong friends!

Cheers!

Justin Graham, President, HPSC

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Harassment and bullying is not tolerated in HPSC

The High Park Ski Club has a long history of, and is dedicated to, bringing people together to enjoy the winter. It is important that the Club provides an environment that allows everyone to enjoy the activities we offer. As such, we want to remind everyone that the Club absolutely does not tolerate any sort of bullying or harassment.

It is important to understand that according to the Ontario Human Rights Code:

  • Sexual harassment is conduct that is generally considered or might reasonably be known to be unwelcome. Some examples of sexual harassment include unwelcome comments on people’s appearance or unnecessary physical contact.
  • Sexual harassment is not necessarily focused on the intention of the person committing the action, but rather on the impact of their behaviour on the other party.

Each year we require that all members read and acknowledge our Code of Conduct which includes the following in the very first paragraph:

“Club members are responsible for respecting the integrity and dignity of each and every club member, as well as our suppliers including tour operators, resort personnel, and bus drivers. Members maintain a companionable environment that is free of profane, sexist or sexually explicit language, threats, violence, or hurtful actions.”   

HPSC encourages any member with complaints regarding Code of Conduct issues to contact the Club Ombudsperson, Kerry Kupecz, at ombudsperson@hpsc.ca. The Club takes all complaints seriously and fully investigates them.

We’re looking forward to having a wonderful ski season this year.

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President’s Report – Optimistic news regarding the upcoming season!!

October 27th, 2021

Dear HPSC Friends!

Since the last SnoBiz there have been some major positive public announcements that impact our upcoming season!!

The American government has finally announced the re-opening of the land border for non-essential travel as of November 8th for those fully vaccinated (including mixed vaccinations).  This means we will be able to run our bus trips to Holiday Valley (NY), Killington (VT), and Jay Peak (VT)!!! And on a personal note, I will finally be able to visit my best friend Tricia and her family in Pittsburgh for American Thanksgiving next month! 

Long trip sign up is this coming Thursday October 28th at 8pm sharp and I am hoping to get on the Holiday Valley trip! (I have already used my one Front of the Line privilege as President for the St. Mortiz trip in March).   There are a lot of great trips to consider. 

The vaccination passport system is now in place with the Ontario QR code document now available for download; please do so ASAP.

The Ontario government has announced plans for further opening up, with the aim to have all COVID restrictions lifted by the end of March 2022.  This week, capacity limits are being lifted for restaurants and bars, which means that we can finally start planning for some indoor social events hopefully in November and December.  Please stay tuned!

With this announcement, our local resorts have a much better sense of how they will need to operate this season.  This means that we will also be able to provide you with a better sense of how we will be running daytrips shortly. 

Given these announcements and the high level of vaccination rates in Ontario, finally, there appears to be a light at the end of this extremely long tunnel. I am very optimistic that this will be a great season for HPSC!!   

Cheers!

Justin Graham, President

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President’s Message – It’s already the end of September!!

September 29, 2021

I can’t believe we are almost at the end of September already!! It seems like just yesterday that I was looking forward to our first SkiFit of the year.  And now we are coming up to our fourth session this coming Saturday!  (FYI Registration opens each Tuesday.)

The most important item on the upcoming HPSC schedule is the Annual General Meeting on Thursday September 30th.  I had sincerely hoped that by the time this year’s AGM rolled around we would be able to return to an in-person event.  However, we will once again be restricted to a Zoom call.

If you haven’t already registered for the AGM please do so (https://hpsc.ca/event-4489401).  We are restricted to just 100 participants, so if the event is full, please put your name on the waitlist.  If you have registered but cannot attend, please cancel yourself out by clicking on the registration button and then on “more details” where there is a cancel button.  This will allow other members to join the meeting. If you cannot attend but would like to send a proxy, the form is available on the website (https://hpsc.ca/club-documents).

The zoom link will be sent to all registrants on Thursday September 30th. And the club Annual Report will be posted to the website on Thursday as well. 

As of last Wednesday September 22nd, all Ontarians are being asked to provide proof of vaccination at almost all non-essential businesses and organizations.  As I have written before, we are not set up to just “show us at the door”.  I would personally like to thank the approximately 40% of members who have already emailed their document (vac@hpsc.ca) or shown up at an in-person location (or caught me at a TBC bike ride 😊.) To confirm, only the membership team is accessing the emails and we are not saving your documents.  Once it is reviewed and confirmed, the email and document is deleted.  

Justin Graham

President

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President’s Message – The Renewal of Autumn

SkiFit is even for the President – September 2019

Dear Friends

Things are finally restarting!!  After a very long winter, spring, and summer, we have finally reached the point where things for the club are starting up again. 

The charter and long trip lists are posted; SkiFit has begun; the first trip signup is next week (for the Serre Chevalier Club Med, France trip); and the Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday September 30th (official notification will be sent shortly). 

As President, it has been fantastic to meet up in person with members of the HPSC community over the last couple of weeks at SkiFit (including a number of new members) and at our various in-person vaccination poof events. 

Just a reminder to members who had their membership deferred from last year, you do not have to pay for this season, BUT we still require all to log into their website account and acknowledge the club Code of Conduct, Waiver, and your vaccination status.  To do this click on your name in the upper right of the main page after logging in, and then click on EDIT PROFILE.  It is on this page that you can read and acknowledge the various documents. 

For members under 26 years of age we also require you to read and acknowledge the Concussion Code of Conduct, as required by the provincial government (Rowan’s Law).  Although not required for other members, I would highly recommend reviewing it anyway just to understand concussions and what you should do if you suspect having a concussion. 

Once you have updated your profile, and for all new and returning members, we then require you to send in your vaccination proof to vac@hpsc.ca (or stop by one of the in-person events – please see below for locations). 

While some things are returning to normal there are other things that we still cannot do.  We would normally be holding a special volunteer event thanking our fantastic volunteers and handing volunteer awards for the previous season.  We would also have scheduled a number of information nights for the fall for new and prospective members to learn more about the club (and current members to reconnect).  And I was personally hoping to have a President’s pub crawl this fall.  So while things are improving somewhat they are still not back to normal.

As always, I hope that you will read all of the articles in this edition of SnoBiz to find out what is going on with the club!

Sincerely,

Justin Graham, President, High Park Ski Club

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2020/21 HPSC Annual General Meeting – September 30

As per our official club by-laws, we will be holding our Annual General Meeting on the evening of September 30th.  An official notification will be sent to all members shortly. 

This is your chance to hear directly from the Board of Directors about the past year including our financial status, to participate in official changes to the club by-laws, and to ask questions of the board. 

While earlier in the summer I had hoped we would be able to hold the AGM in person this year, the current case counts and regulations make that very difficult.  Therefore, the meeting will be held virtually via Zoom for the second year in a row.  We will require you to register for the event on our website.  After registration and prior to the meeting a meeting link will be sent to you. 

https://www.hpsc.ca/event-4489401
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SkiFit Returns on Saturday September 11th

Typical HPSC SkiFit warm up

This year especially, pre-season fitness will be extremely important for HPSC members. 

As always, we will be running our fun fall SkiFit program in High Park on Saturday mornings.  Come enjoy the outdoors and make new friends. This is a free, fun and social event with athletic activities to suit a variety of fitness levels. We have something for everyone who wants to start getting ready for winter.

And good news, Karen Evans and John McHutchion, have agreed to return to lead the sessions this year.  They, however, will not be available for the first session September 11th or on September 25th. 

New HPSC members are very welcome to register. However, as was the case last year, we will continue SkiFit as an HPSC members only event. 

We will also continue to require members to register each week for the session and will initially limit the number to 30 participants.  Registration will open each Tuesday for the following Saturday’s session.  The sessions are listed on the club Social page calendar. 

If you cannot make the session, please email president@hpsc.ca and I will remove your name and open it up to the next person on the waitlist. 

Unfortunately, the Grenadier Restaurant continues to be close on the weekends, so we will not be able to stay for brunch.  Hopefully by the end of the fall, this will change, or we might be able to find another nearby location to have brunch.   

Weekly Schedule

8:55 am Meet in High Park, under the trees on the north side of the Grenadier Restaurant parking lot. See map below.

9:00 am A fun warm up with introductions.  Includes agility and balance exercises.

9:15 am We head off to enjoy a variety of activities. Walk, run, Nordic pole walking…  We have groups for every fitness level.  Nordic pole walking guidance offered.  Bring your own walking poles.

10:45 am A stretching session led by our volunteers, and announcements of upcoming events.

11:00 am This year, we will not be arranging for brunch as a group at the Cafe. 

Ski Fit is a free program for all club members. Register and come check us out. We meet rain or shine. Wet weather can be even more fun as we benefit from the leafy tree canopy and park shelters.

Location: 180 Colborne Lodge Dr., Toronto. In the centre of High Park. Meet on the North side of the Grenadier parking lot, under the trees.

NOTE:  According the High Park website the park is closed to vehicles on the weekend, so if you are driving you will need to find a parking spot outside of the park.