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Sovereign Futures: Topics Generated

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Running List of Comments from Members and Guests to Jan 16, 2012

The following list represents some of the ideas generated by club members and guests to date on topics to be addressed as part of Sovereign Futures, SLNCs Strategic Plan for 2012-2017.

This list is intended to stimulate interest and to solicit additional ideas from club members and public skiers alike on topics to be addressed by Sovereign Futures.

Club members and public skiers are encouraged to add their voice!

Please fill out a comment form in the day lodge with your ideas and deposit it in the drop box on the Sovereign Futures Bulletin Board.

You can also visit our web page under the Ski Club Link at www.sovereignlake.com or contact us anytime at sovereignfutures@sovereignlake.com. 

General Comments:

  • Maintain warm family atmosphere
  • Encourage low-key family-friendly place
  • Love family/club atmosphere-fantastic community spirit – keep this
  • Maintain affordable family place
  • Need to promote SLNC as international destination but not at expense of the “family values” – locals are important customers and can be best SL advocates.
  • grow but not to become overly commercial or built up. Keep it affordable and accessible and friendly!
  • Maintain great vibe and great staff
  • Enhance family friendly venue
  • Keep family orientation and cost efficient
  • To keep it as a club, where all are welcome no matter their social status
  • Foster a sense of belonging within the club
  • Keep undeveloped except day lodge (no condos!!)
  • Limit commercialization-keep it simple
  • Keep area as natural as possible
  • Cross country skiing is quiet healthy serene sport-not commercial
  • More balance oriented to non-competitive members and young families
  • Have observed shift in focus over the years towards racers and competitive skiers and decline in services for recreational skiers
  • SLNC needs to be equally inviting to recreational skiers as well as competitive ones- this would expand market and benefit everyone
  • Recreational skiers will sustain the viability of club over time
  • Community-driven area - keep corporate out
  • Keep independent of any commercial association
  • Maintain community-based club atmosphere while promoting increased day use
  • Continue annual family growth rate at +5%
  • Strive to become largest club in Valley/Province
  • Concentrate on using funds toward improvements to trails and facilities
  • Need a large welcome sign at entrance by gate across from garage
  • Improve cell service for safety and convenience
  • Consider summer sports if feasible without jeopardizing winter operations
  • Extend spring season –promote spring skiing - skiers will come
  • Foster positive working relationships and develop strategic alliances with prospective partners including the City of Vernon, NORD, Silver Star Resort, local businesses, BC Parks, other provincial Ministries and Agencies, CCBC, CCC, etc
  • Continue partnerships with Silver Star
  • Improve relationship with Silver Star Mountain
  • Assess environmental impacts of existing and future use and developments
  • Make the lodge scent-free!
  • Develop strategies and policies surrounding the growing participation in snowshoeing and tobogganing

Day Lodge

  • Address issues associated with re-development or replacement of the day lodge
  • facility to meet long-term needs of club members and public skiers, incorporating state-of-the-art energy efficiency to reduce operating costs
  • well designed lodge to allow traffic to move through rentals more efficiently
  • New or expanded day lodge to encourage community aspect of SLNC
  • Time for replacement/major renovation of lodge like Callaghan valley
  • New, bigger lodge with cozy feel
  • New day lodge-its time!
  • Replacement of the structure with a larger one that is better suited to all users and is built as sustainably as possible
  • Expansion of day lodge – improve food and beverage services
  • Mount Washington and Callaghan good models for new lodge
  • if a new lodge is built, provide facilities for self-catered group meetings/parties (eg night skiing with employee group or social club)  as opportunity to introduce skiing and SLNC to new skiers.
  • Improvements to day lodge and wax building
  • A new building if it can be done without impacting on trail grooming and programs
  • Larger lodge-more comfortable seating
  • Separate tickets and rentals from lounge areas
  • No new lodge – no more debt
  • Do not need new day lodge –mostly under capacity except race days –can do repairs and upgrades
  • Be careful about not spending beyond club’s ability to pay for and maintain its’ present physical structures
  • Examine alternatives for unused existing infrastructure (eg tech building)
  • More bins for storage (maybe lockers)
  • Showers in the lodge
  • Widen and re-align Sovereign Lake Access Road
  • Improve access road
  • fix the upper part of the road (spring potholes)

Trails:

  • Continue to provide the highest quality in trail grooming
  • Continued improvement in trail surfaces for early season and low-snow years
  • Continue improvements to trail system- focus on quality not quantity
  • Major goal – high quality grooming
  • More long trails- Improve views from select trails
  • Maintain seamless interface between Silver Star and SLNC trail systems
  • Develop terrain park for kids as part of skier development program
  • Terrain park for kids to have fun and improve skills
  • Re-build/re-grade Gold Mountain parkway to improve accessibility between SLNC and Silver Star Resort
  • Improve Gold Mountain so don’t have to take off skis
  • Encourage more use of Gold Mountain trail
  • connect Gold Mountain trail to Aberdeen Trail without having to go all the way to Sovereign Lake - a short cut between SLNC and SS would add greatly to the trail system.
  • Need a kids play area-sled area is perfect
  • More tobogganing and kids play areas – charge more for this
  • Build stand-alone dog trail with flatter profile
  • Trail for dog walking and pulling child on sled (like SS)
  • Need easy trail for young families that includes dogs and sleds.
  • a multipurpose trail that is usable by all (including dogs)
  • Dog trail for skiing and snowshoeing
  • Better skijoring routes and requirement for proper skijoring equipment (not just dogs on leash or running loose)
  • Re-develop some backcountry trails (5 km) as narrow classic only trails with possibility for limited low-cost snowmobile grooming
  • Love to see some classic-only trails developed through the trees
  • More backcountry skiing/access and better backcountry information
  • Time for expansion of lighted trails –complete lit trail system
  • Maintain/expand night skiing
  • Need “penalty loop” for biathlon  - possibly incorporating paved summer rollerblading trail
  • better signage directly from lodge
  • Signage still confusing for visitors – make maps match trail signs
  • Examine whether it would be worthwhile to coordinate (contract) grooming/ticketing with Silver Star (better for users and seamless integration of trail networks)

Huts:

  • Another hut like Black Prince cabin
  • Add another warming hut maybe on Carl Wylie
  • Need one more warming hut
  • More jacket pegs between tables at Black Prince cabin
  • More picnic tables at Black Prince and maybe other places on trails
  • Hot water kettles in huts for tea and hot chocolate
  • Develop rustic and safe overnight stays beside trails
  • more washroom facilities on the green/blue runs.  One at the cabin is not enough.

Pricing and Accessibility:

  • Maintain seamless pass with Silver Star
  • Multi-day discount ticket especially for seniors
  • Develop  multi-day pass
  • Develop more package plans
  • Give same discount on tickets as SS does for people staying at SS- would encourage people to buy tickets at Sovereign Lake
  • Need combined, reasonably priced dual pass with Silver Star   
  • Negotiate and initiate ½ price reciprocal pass for other BC club season pass holders
  • Student pricing for rentals and passes
  • Student (university and college) rate for passes and rentals
  • Keep membership fees low so x-c can be available to the average citizen.
  • Develop rate for short ski – ½ day rate ($16.50 is a lot for a 1 hr ski)
  • Daily fees too high
  • Charge higher fee for access to biathlon range as revenue centre
  • Maintain affordable membership and day-use fees for families, students and seniors
  • Current rates are reasonable
  • Reduce overhead to make SLNC affordable to families
  • Open process for determining fees
  • Affordability and accessibility for all
  • Work with City of Vernon and Silver Star Resort to examine feasibility of affordable public transportation to SLNC

Skier Development Programs:

  • Are we organized and staffed effectively to deliver a broad range of programs? Is there a need to create programs coordinator/manager position?
  • high quality coaching-coaching model needs to be kept and expanded
  • More paid help with skier development program
  • Recruit jackrabbit leaders in spring to give volunteers opportunity to train
  • Emphasize joy of skiing for children of all abilities rather than “Olympians of tomorrow”-they are a small elite group.
  • More programs for recreational skiers and families (eg: children’s programs for those who do not intend to race)
  • Develop alternatives to racing within skier development model to keep teens in skiing
  • Need programs to keep 13-17 yr olds in skiing (besides racing) – eg: adventure program
  • Maintain variety and balance within skier development programs to serve both recreational skiers and competitive racers.
  • Encourage and develop lessons, training and racing.
  • Support those who want to compete
  • program development at all levels.
  • Is SLNC meeting program needs of seniors?
  • SLNC and Vernon has potential to develop high performance development program (Centre of Excellence? National Training Centre?)  for xc and biathlon – ensure necessary staffing and infrastructure is in place to achieve this.
  • What are future programming needs for high-performance athletes?
  • To provide a supportive environment for competitive skiers to excel (Jr and Sr)
  • Should SLNC seek designation as a National Training Centre?
  • Open biathlon range through summer

Competitions

  • Ensure that SLNC maintains the expertise and volunteer base to host major competitive events. Hosting of events serves to raise the profile of Vernon, SLNC and Silver Star Resort provincially, nationally, and internationally as a premier cross country skiing destination.
  • Less focus on major events such as World Cups which put club funds at risk
  • Competitions should be user-pay – not subsidized by membership
  • Give primary consideration to recreational skiers when scheduling competitive races
  • Hold a race over the holiday period to give holiday visitors an opportunity to see a race
  • Plan for 2050 Olympics in N Okanagan – long track speed skating track and ski jump

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