In support of Canadian efforts to minimize the transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Nordiq Canada in consultation with the local organizing committee at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Ski Club chose to cancel the 2020 Canadian Ski Championships, scheduled for March 25 to April 2. Nordiq Canada expressed gratitude for the significant amount of preparation work invested by the Organizing Committee – a volunteer group assembled with the Sovereign Lake Nordic Ski Club.

The safety and health of athletes, coaches, volunteers, and staff is, and always will be, of top priority. This decision was made in the best interest of our broader sport and local communities with regard to handling the situation we are all facing.

Having Sovereign Lake Nordic Club host the Nationals in 2021 was investigated, but Nordiq Canada explained they made an earlier commitment to Mont Ste Anne to be the host the 2021 Nationals and they felt it was in everyone’s best interest to honour that earlier commitment.

Sovereign Lake’s Organizing Committee wants to express disappointment in losing their opportunity to host Canada’s top Nordic skiers in their final race of the season. The event was carefully planned and we were ready to do an awesome job! The Race Organizers for Nationals 2020 received enthusiastic support from many local businesses, listed below, in providing cash and donations to make this event possible. We want to say Thank You!

We also want to express a huge thank you to the City of Vernon, and the Regional District of North Okanagan for stepping up and providing grant dollars to help make this event possible. We felt supported and we know we couldn’t make this event happen without all the support.

The Sovereign Lake Nordic Club Board has sorted out the next steps required to begin the Refund process. All athletes and coaches who registered for Nationals 2020 will be contacted by our Race Secretary and be refunded in accordance with the Refund Policy stated in the Race Notice. People who paid for Trail Passes and Banquet tickets will be refunded 100% of those purchases. The race registrations will firstly cover the administration costs and expenses incurred and then athletes will receive a percentage of their registration from the dollars remaining. All Sponsorship and Grant dollars will be reimbursed 100%.

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club Board is already working to make sure the energy behind hosting big events continues. They’re putting the Nationals 2020 disappointment behind them and actively working on hosting BC Provincial Champs in February 2021. This event is focused on our local provincial skiers and is the final competition for the season. Historically, the BC Champs attracts as many as 600 skiers in a 3-day event featuring both classic and skate technique races as well as an exciting Team Relay.

BC PARKS Press Release: March 20th (2PM)

Provincial parks are a great place for people in B.C. to get out and enjoy nature, while following the social distancing directives from British Columbia’s provincial health officer (PHO).

While BC Parks is bringing in some new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols, people throughout B.C. will still be able to enjoy day-use parks as a positive way to connect to nature.

Some day-use services and facilities are currently available at the following provincial parks:

• Mount Seymour Provincial Park – access restricted to some lower-elevation trails. Parking and road access are closed.
• Cypress Provincial Park – access restricted to some lower-elevation trails. Parking and road access are closed.
• Goldstream Provincial Park
• Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
• Miracle Beach Provincial Park
• Wells Gray Provincial Park

“Nature provides the perfect environment to promote health and well-being,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “We are following the advice of the provincial health officer to help people get outside, while ensuring they are following the PHO’s direction and guidance to stay healthy. Our government is taking every necessary step to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We look forward to a time when we can return to full operations at our provincial parks.”

People will continue to be able to day hike and recreate in most all other provincial parks. However, there will be a temporary suspension of services and facility closures as a result of the ongoing provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Campgrounds and camping opportunities will be closed and existing reservations will be automatically refunded.

The temporary measures include the suspension of services at marine parks, visitor centres, nature houses, washrooms and day-use facilities. Provincial park visitors may continue to use trails and areas where accessible. Visitors should be aware parking lots in some parks may be closed and gated where necessary.

Provincial parks can attract large numbers, particularly those parks close to urban centres. Visitors should keep this in mind when choosing which park to visit. People are also reminded to keep at least two metres apart from each other during this time. In addition to social distancing, people may need to be extra patient and aware of their impact on the environment.

Full provincial park closures are also being implemented on a case-by-case basis, where required, to address concerns regarding health and safety. Visitors should be mindful that they are responsible for their own safety and that washroom facilities may not be available in most parks. They are asked to check the BC Parks website for any updates before heading out. Any changes to services at provincial parks will be posted to the BC Parks website: http://bcparks.ca

In alignment with Parks Canada, all campgrounds, camping opportunities and accommodations will be closed until at least April 30, 2020. Refunds will be provided to those with existing reservations during this time.

The Discover Camping reservation system has been suspended for all new reservations. No action is required for people with reservations to receive a refund. Refunds will be done automatically and are expected to take seven to 10 business days. A public notice will be issued once facilities are reopened and the system is able to accept new reservations.

Many tourism operators and other businesses have permits to offer services and trips within BC Parks. This closure may affect the availability of services provided by commercial operators permitted to operate in BC Parks. Park visitors are advised to check with them directly before visiting to determine if there have been any changes to their services.

BC Parks continues to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak closely and is following recommendations set out by the provincial health officer and minister of health to assess when to reopen facilities and services and return to full operations.

Learn More: 

For non-clinical information on COVID-19, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/COVID19

The latest information on COVID-19 protective measures is available through the BC Centre for Disease Control by calling 1 888-COVID19 or at: BCCDC.ca

BC Parks website: http://bcparks.ca

SOVEREIGN LAKE NORDIC CLUB CLOSING EFFECTIVE MARCH 20TH at 4PM

Four of our current or alumni Biathletes are heading overseas to compete at the Youth Olympic Games and the Youth World Championships the next two months. These prestigious events are just one step below the Senior World Cup program and for these kids, it is a dream come true. Two of our Junior Biathletes are also headed to the BC Winter Games in February.

The 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games take place in Lausanne, Switzerland next week and bring over 1800 athletes from around the world in numerous sporting events, featuring the best young athletes in the world. These Olympics feature all the pomp and circumstance of the big show. Sovereign athletes Ethan Algra and Lucas Sadesky make up a third of the entire team attending the races which take place over 13 days with 81 different competitions through the various sports. HUGE CONGRATS YOU TWO!!!

Lucas Sadesky and Ethan Algra spend one last session in the biathlon range before setting off for Switzerland on Monday.

Cole Bender (from Burns Lake) but training with SLNC this season, will be representing Canada at the Youth World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland from Jan 20-Feb 4th along with Sovereign’s very own Danica Ariano who now trains at the Nationals Training Centre in Canmore with the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre. We are super proud of these great athletes.

Cole Bender, Ethan, and Lucas together in the new Biathlon Range up at Sovereign Lake.

Sovereign athletes Ethan Algra and Danico Ariano following a successful race day in Canmore, Alberta last winter.

Not to be outdone by the senior athletes our young team of Isabella Pighin and Luca Ariano will be representing zone 2 at the BC Winter Games in Fort St. John from Feb 19-22. They will be joined by Camille Hanry (former SLNC athlete) and Timur McNern from Telemark to complete the Okanagan Zone 2 Team. Good luck and do the SLNC Plaid proud!!

Isabelle Pighin, Cole, Ethan, Lucas and Luca Ariano join the fun setting their own sights on the BC Winter Games next month. 

Thanks to the generous donations of our patrons on Christmas day we were able to raise almost $3000 for the 4th Annual Xmas Day Food Bank Fundraiser. All proceeds from ticket sales and member donations went towards the Salvation Army House of Hope to help provide food to those in need throughout the winter season. This donation almost doubled our $1642 from last year. Thank you for your generosity this holiday season and all the best in the new year.

SLNC will be open for the season effective Wednesday, November 13th at 8:30 am. We intend to be grooming with the PB 400 snowcat on Passmore, Wylies Loop, World Cup, and possibly Aberdeen.

Welcome back to another great season! We will be processing season passes out of the lodge for the remainder of the season.

All SLNC Trails are closed effective immediately until further notice with no exceptions as we are trying to preserve the minimal amount of snow we have for the coming weekend. We will be opening Aberdeen as well as the Repeater Rd for the BC Ski Team Camp (and public). We kindly request that all users respect our request and avoid skiing until the weekend. A notice will be posted this afternoon down at the lower parking lot.

Kindly,

SLNC Management

Dear SLNC Members:

The 2019 Elections Committee is pleased to announce that five SLNC members put their names forward to run for the Board.  Since six Director positions were available, the five nominees will become members of the Board by acclamation. They will start their 2-year terms at the AGM on October 16^th, 2019:

Marcus Boyle (new)
Sandra Ecclestone (returning)
Tara Fulop Conner (new)
Anja Lee (new)
Hugh Seaton (new)

Profiles of the five acclaimed Board members are posted HERE, and you can meet them at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, October 16th.  The AGM will start at 7:00 pm a the Schubert Centre.  Coffee, cookies, information tables, and socializing will be available beforehand at 6:00 PM.

The five acclaimed Board members will join four continuing Board members (Lynn Algra, Pat Pearce, Brent Ree, and Brian Wills) who are starting the second year of their two-year terms.  This means there will be nine directors plus one vacant position on the Board.

Congratulations and thank you to all Board members — including Sylvia Herchen, Guy Morazain, Mark Nichiporuk, and Greg Sadesky, who are completing two years of service on the Board.

Respectfully submitted,

The SLNC 2019 Elections Committee
Doug Geller, Randy Savoie, Kim Taylor

The Masters High-Performance Group from SLNC has been preparing to race at the Masters World Cup 2019 in Norway over the last 2 seasons. With the expert guidance from our Program Director, Eric de Nys, and the disciplined approached by our skiers we’ve exceeded all expectations.

23 Sovereign skiers joined forces with 31 other BC skiers and 50 more from other parts of Canada to make up the largest Canadian contingent on record to attend these games. The Canadian group represents an age spread of 40 years and many more years of ski racing experience.

The trip began with 8 of our skiers spending a week at altitude in Italy. We stayed at Seiser Alm – a ski resort known by National team skiers as the place for acclimatizing before big race series. We had such a relaxing ski experience that it
was actually hard to leave. Good skiing, beautiful scenery and very warm temperatures.

Our larger group of skiers met up on March 4th in Oslo and then boarded buses and travelled to Beitostolen where the Master’s is being held. This quintessential Norwegian community is situated at the base of a huge plateau with mountain ranges in the background. Skiing goes on forever – the touring is so inviting that it’s hard to remain focused on the race course when so many unexplored kilometres lay outside the doorstep of the hotel. Many of our group has expressed the desire to return and enjoy what this area has to offer.

The racing hasn’t disappointed. The Sovereign group travelled with a wax team – Mike Bell and Joel Knoff. These two guys have worked early mornings and late evenings to ensure the ski group had fast skis when it was their turn to fly around the course. Our skiers commented on the fact that these were the fastest skis they’d ever been on. There’s nothing quite like tucking down a hill and passing other competitors on the glide.
The goal of competing, as a Master’s athlete, is “personal improvement” – to ski faster today than you would have without all the training, coaching and support. Everyone met that goal – and everyone feels like they’ve earned a personal victory. It’s truly motivating to ski against your own age group from Nordic countries around the world and share in the competitive spirit.

The MWC has 2 races left in their schedule as I write this note. Both 30km classic and 30 km skate will happen in the final 2 days of our stay in Beitostolen and then a smaller group is off to participate in the famous Norwegian Birkiebeiner. The Canadian Team has also received top honours from the Organizing Committee here in Beitostolen for Team Spirit, our new Race Suits, as well as great performances.

To stay up to date with our Masters across the pond in the temple of Cross Country Skiing by visiting their Masters World Cup 2019 Facebook Page. 

-Article submitted by Pat Pearce