Kenora Nordic & Biathlon Club – Light The Trails Project

Submitted by Tim Wehner.

Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club, Mount Evergreen trail system, has been described as the “Best trail system between Thunder Bay and Canmore” and they are about to get a whole lot better. KNBC has been busy applying for funding and has secured $500,000 from the Federal Government and $490,000 from the Provincial government for an almost 1.2-million-dollar permanent residential LED lighting project.

The light the trails project is divided into two phases with the ultimate goal by the 2023-24 season of having 6 km of lit trail! Phase one, 3 kms, is complete with the Para-Nordic (wax hut) loop, Frank Symonds and Jackrabbit trails completed. As a bonus, Matoo’s return (part of Phase two), has also been completed before this building season needed to end to allow us to ski.

What this means is that we have more than doubled the number of skiable hours on our system with near daylight conditions. This will allow night races, improve coaches & athletes training sessions, attract more recreational skiers and be safer for everyone. We plan to have the Para-Nordic 350m loop lights on from dusk to dawn and the rest of the trails lit from 0600-0800 and again 1600-2300 during ski season.  Do you know it is dark in North-western Ontario December 21 from 1630 to 0800? Now we can say skiing is “just cold” rather than “dark and cold”!

If you are good at math, you will see that the government funding of $990,000 does not add up to a 1.2-million-dollar project! We are responsible for an applicant contribution of $110,000 on the provincial funding and taxes on both along with any cost over runs. We need to raise about $175,000. This is where you come in.

We are selling individuals poles for $1250.00. There are 135 poles and 145 lights in this project. Purchasing a pole for yourself, your business, in memoriam or for another cause will result in a sign being mounted on the pole and the opportunity for a tax receipt if the funds are flowed through the City of Kenora-KNBC Lighting project. We are working on a Zone 4 link for donations as well but at this point cheques can be sent to: Attention City of Kenora-KNBC lighting project, 1 Main Street, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X2.

Not interested or able to purchase a pole? No donation is too large or too small. All donors will be noted on the donor board when the project is completed.

Questions can be directed to Tim Wehner at twehner@bell.net or 807-548-8147.

Thanks for your support and come check the trails out for yourself soon!