High Park Ski Club Blog

Ontario weather once again gave us a surprise!  After having been resigned to an early end of the season, a spring snowstorm surprised us. As those who were able to get out to the slopes over the last couple of weeks can attest, the skiing was fairly good for what we have faced this past season. However, it is now the time to say goodbye until next season.

I am very happy for those of our cross-country community who were on the Quebec City combo ski around trip. After the very tough season in Ontario, they were rewarded with fantastic conditions in Quebec City. 

Downhill members were also treated with great conditions on the last overnight trips to Quebec City, Tremblant and currently Charlevoix this week. 

This is an important time for the club in preparation for next year’s big 75^th Anniversary season. One of these is our Ikon Pass Group sales program. All of the details are now online here.

On a personal note, I have really enjoyed getting back on the slopes, being on day trips, having a beer with other members at the end of the day and getting to know and talk with new and longer time members. On one day trip this year, as I was getting ready to go out, many members were coming up to me and asking about various club topics. Someone asked me if that was what I was there for, just to answer questions. My response was that, in a way, yes, that was my job – I love talking with members about the club and learning about their issues and concerns, as well as hearing about the positives. 

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

It always surprises me each year how quickly we come to the end of our season. Nine months of planning for approximately 3 months of trips (if we are lucky!).

While this year has generally been very positive, with strong membership numbers, high engagement in social events, strong demand for our charter and overnight trips, and good turnout for day trips, the weather has definitely thrown a wrench into our plans. 

After a late start and continuous juggling by our Cross-Country team, unfortunately the weather just did not co-operate and they had to call it a season at the end of February. Congratulations to Heather and her team for doing a fantastic job with what was available. Hopefully next year will be less stressful. 

One area that has gone very well is our charter and overnight trips – it appears that most of the trips have experienced good conditions.  And we hope this streak continues with the remaining trips – currently members are in Quebec City and Banff. Next week is the trip to Killington, and the weekend trip to Tremblant. The season ends with the trip to the Club Med at Charlevoix the last week of March. I am also pleased that we have been able to offer numerous options for our cross-country members on the charter and overnight trips. 

Downhill day trips have had ups and downs, with good numbers for almost all days (including strong numbers for Sunday trips to Blue), with the exception of Wednesday trips. Unfortunately, the weather as well will not likely allow us to run all of the trips we had planned. However, we will run trips so long as there remains strong registration. 

Last spring we had a very high level of participation in our group Ikon sales program. We are finalizing the details for this year and will be providing all of the information shortly. While passes go on sale this week, please hold off purchasing your pass until we have our group plan set up. Last year, we had enough sales to hold a draw for four of those who purchased their passes to be rebated the cost. 

As I have mentioned previously, the annual election will be held on April 30^th at the National Yacht Club. As we have done in the past few years, the meeting will be a hybrid meeting. The official notice will go out by the end of the month. 

Speaking of the election, some members have asked if I will run for another term as President. I have been President for two full terms (four years). But due to the extraordinary circumstances of the first three years of my time as President, I have decided to run for a further one-year term so that I can remain President through to the end of our 75^th Anniversary year.

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe but we only have a few more weeks left of our season – and that is only if the weather holds out. 

Your friends and family may complain that winter is “so long”, but you and I know that it is actually very short in Ontario. What they really mean is that it is a long time between being able to wear shorts and t-shirts – while to us winter is not really winter unless there is snow on the ground. 

While this “winter” has not been exactly generous with snow, we have all done what we can to get out and enjoy our sports as best as we can. We still hope that we can squeeze out another 4 weeks of trips – and we will, so long as the resorts stay open and there are still enough members signing up for trips. Skiing in March can be some of the most enjoyable days with sunshine and longer days. Please remember that no snow on the ground in Toronto does NOT mean that there is no snow on the hills in Collingwood and Barrie. 

During the past weekend, I was very happy to be able be on the extended day trip to Mount St. Louis for our last race day of the season. I was going to enter the race but was advised it was a bit icy so just watched. During our après, I was very pleased to be informed by one of our new instructors how much he is enjoying teaching with HPSC this season and how appreciative our members are. 

Hope to see many of you during the rest of the season. 

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

I am writing this while overlooking the majestic Rockies in lovely Banff.

As we move into the second half of our season, I reflect on how far we have come since I wrote my first President’s Message in May 2020. At that point, we didn’t know that Covid would wipe out one season and significantly impact the next two. Finally this season seems pretty much back to normal.  

From all the pictures and feedback, our charter and long trips have been a great success. Both the downhill and cross-country teams have done the best with what they have been given. And there have been great accomplishments by members of our ski school.

And as noted in the last edition of SnoBiz, we have a recent record of new members. I personally have enjoyed meeting so many new members on the current trip to Banff.

On a different note, the club elections will be held on April 30th. We are only successful because of all of our volunteers. If you are interested in helping run the club and being involved in making the decisions, please reach out to me.

Cheers!

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

High Park Ski Club must operate in a space that is safe and welcoming to all members

Harassment and bullying will not be tolerated in HPSC

Next year marks 75 years that a dedicated cast of volunteers has organized activities that keep attracting a diverse membership who enjoy winter activities together. High Park Ski Club has a long history of and is dedicated to bringing people together to enjoy the winter. The Club is committed to the maintenance of an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination and the club will not tolerate, ignore or condone, among other things, comments that are sexist, racist, homophobic or anything that constitutes bullying.

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.

We ask all members to be mindful while making comments and jokes at any Club activities.

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 concerns 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.

The Club’s aim is for everyone to have fun and we appreciate the efforts of all members in making skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing enjoyable for all.