Matt Mosteller BlogMatt Mosteller Blog

Matt Mosteller Blog

Matt Mosteller





‘You never regret the adventures you do’<br>        Powder Matt Mosteller

  • POWDER MATT MOSTELLER
  • OUTDOOR GEAR REVIEW EXPERTS
  • MATT MOSTELLER, AUTHOR
  • MAPPY HOUR
BLOG

Kimberley Alpine Resort builds Canada's only dedicated Paralympic Training Run

Kimberley Alpine Resort builds Canada's only dedicated Paralympic Training Run

by matt / Tuesday, 01 September 2009 / Published in Uncategorized

Recent article in the Vancouver Sun provides postive coverage on the new dedicated Paralympic Training Run and also the soon to be developed Paralympic Training Centre.

Kimberley builds a global reputation

By Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver SunAugust 28, 2009

The small East Kootenay town that morphed into the Bavarian City of the Rockies in the 1970s wants to become the Paralympic training centre of Canada in the new millennium.

Kimberley expects to have Paralympic ski teams from Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and other countries training on a dedicated run at Kimberley Alpine Resort just before the Paralympic Games next year.

The Dreadnaught run was developed to accommodate downhill, slalom, giant slalom and super-G events, with safety netting from top to bottom and new communications and timing equipment.

The facility is fully equipped with ski equipment required by disabled athletes and International Paralympic Committee World Cup events were held there in 2005 and 2007.

Now, city officials hope to capitalize on the run's international reputation by building a $6-million Paralympic Training and Conference Centre at the base of the mountain by late 2010.

"International teams are talking to us now about the possibility of coming here and training in the future," Kimberley Mayor Jim Ogilvie said. "So throughout the Olympics, we'll make it known we're going to have this centre available."

The provincial government committed $3.9 million to Kimberley's Paralympic vision four years ago and the city has used some of those funds to help develop the ski run and to make its civic arena and curling rink more accessible for disabled athletes.

The arena's players' benches and penalty boxes now are at ice level, allowing for smooth transitions on and off the ice for sledge hockey players, while dressing rooms have been renovated with automatic doors, accessible washrooms and showers, wide benches and equipment boxes.

Curling venue upgrades include covered ramp access and automatic doors leading into the building. The city's two-year-old aquatic centre is also wheelchair-accessible.

"What we're saying is come here and train here because we really do have the complete package," Ogilvie said.

The package won't be totally complete until the new ski-in, ski-out training and conference centre is built next year, but he said most of the project funding is already in place — including $2.5 million left from the provincial grant, another $2 million in federal-provincial infrastructure funding and $1 million from the city.

The facility will have training facilities, change rooms, meeting rooms, audio-visual equipment and conference space for up to 500 people.

Kimberley didn't send delegations to previous Games, but Ogilvie noted several international sport federations found out about the city's Paralympic aspirations at the B.C. Pavilion in Turin in 2006.

He credits renowned Canadian ski instructor Jerry Johnston for giving Kimberley so much credibility as a centre for training disabled athletes. The 73-year-old member of the Order of Canada moved to Kimberley from Alberta in 1980 and brought his groundbreaking training skills with him.

He began training disabled skiers in the early 1960s and he and his wife, Annie, established Canada's first disabled skiing program; they created the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing in 1976.

Johnston helped establish the Japanese Handicapped Ski Association and headed the disabled skiing exhibition at the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary in 1988. He's not an active trainer these days, but he remains an important consultant in Kimberley's Paralympic plans.

"Paralympic skiing in Kimberley has been very successful," Johnston said. "Things have really opened up for a lot of teams to train here and they don't have to run around looking for equipment for speed racing.

"A lot of resorts won't shut down a hill, but we have an agreement that we can do that for training."

Kimberley will continue to attract high-level competitions for disabled athletes, he said, but it will be hard to become a permanent fixture on the IPC ski circuit because so many countries want to hold the events.

"It's good to move the events around because that helps increase the popularity of the sport," Johnston said. "Disabled athletes still aren't respected at all in some countries and we have to change that. People thought we were crazy the first time we went to Japan but they really accepted the sport when they saw what the athletes could do."

Kimberley Alpine Resort representative Matt Mosteller said the proposed new training centre will become a year-round facility for able-bodied and disabled athletes, with fitness and dryland training taking priority in non-winter months.

"The sport has been a very big positive for the community," he said. "Athletes come to live and train in the area and there's an economic win when you create and host events."

Kimberley will host a Nor-Am competition for able-bodied snowboarders just before the Olympics in February next year, then hold a Nor-Am event for disabled skiers before the Paralympics begin in March.

The city expects to attract disabled curlers to its curling venue before the 2010 Paralympic Games and the Canadian men's sledge hockey team is scheduled to play against an international opponent in the Kimberley Civic Centre on March 1.

Steve Bova, an instructor who runs a disabled ski academy at the resort, noted the Canadian snowboard team trained on the mountain last year and the Nor-Am snowboard event will attract snowboarders from all over the world.

"The main thing is to market what we have now and get the people here," he said. "From a coach's point of view, the venues are what's important and we have them."

  • Tweet

About matt

What you can read next

Fast Forward Weekly picks Fernie Alpine Resort tops for BC Ski Resort
Another Snowstorm hits RCR Ski Resorts time to Ski Alberta Family Week
TJ Schiller enjoys powder at Fernie Alpine Resort

7 Comments to “ Kimberley Alpine Resort builds Canada's only dedicated Paralympic Training Run”

  1. Air Jordans 16 Retro says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 2:04 am

    Extremely benevolent, I determination definately be returning because i start my next task.

  2. dog training says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 3:37 am

    I just added this weblog to my google reader, excellent stuff. Can not get enough!

  3. life insurance says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 6:15 am

    Based mostly on your experience of posting this blog which is easier between moveabletype and wordpress blogs?

  4. dkny quilted leather bag says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 6:26 am

    It’s so hard to find well advised people. you sound like you know what you’re about! respect.

  5. Instrukcja worms 2011 says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 8:15 am

    I was very pleased to search out this internet-site.I needed to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I positively having fun with each little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you weblog post.

  6. Aktywacja active file recovery says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 8:52 am

    I used to be very pleased to search out this web-site.I wished to thanks for your time for this glorious read!! I undoubtedly enjoying each little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.

  7. Cleopatra Clerf says :Log in to Reply
    June 28, 2011 at 9:42 am

    I was very happy to search out this net-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this excellent read!! I positively having fun with every little bit of it and I’ve you bookmarked to check out new stuff you weblog post.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Archives

  • October 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008

© 2017 All rights reserved. powdermatt.com.

TOP