North Bay Nordic Ski Club sees membership rise in wake of COVID-19 pandemic
The cross-country ski season is in full swing in North Bay.
The city's Nordic Ski Club has been open for a few weeks and membership has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the pandemic hit, around 700 skiers were registered to take to the trails. Now there are over 900 people who will be out throughout the season.
"Last year we saw close to 1,000 people," said club president Andrew Rees. "Where we do see a lot more interest is in day uses. People want to come out for the day and want to try it out."
Last season, the club could not operate the trail for day use or rent out equipment due to health concerns.
"I'm excited. I haven't been skiing since last year because of COVID. It was a long time," explained Klarissa Srigaley.
Srigaley is one of 30 young racers that make up the North Bay Nordic Junior Racing Team that we're practicing Sunday afternoon. The team is anticipating and hoping for competitions later this season.
"We practice on the things we're not as good on and we can get better and better each time," said skier Felix Dubytz.
It will all depend on the pandemic situation if the team can compete. Under normal circumstances, the team would represent the club in Ontario and Quebec competitions.
"We had a race in early December in the north of Temiskaming shores. It went well," said skier Chris Butterworth. "I'd like to work on my technique I think."
The club opened for the season a bit later than it hoped for due to the late arrival of winter.
"We had a false start and a couple of melts but we've been skiing around mid-December and conditions have really improved in the last week or two," said Rees.
Under current health and safety regulations, the club can still run most of its programs like its well-known ‘Jackrabbit Program' for young skiers just starting.
"It doesn't matter what their skill level is, they get placed in different groups so they can instruction every week on Sundays," explained Rees.
Rees said he's optimistic the season will be one of the best in recent years for the club if the cold, winter weather lingers and they can avoid being shut down by the pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.