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Ski clubs from Calgary starting the SJAM trail at Champlain Park’s fieldhouse:
Category: Winter Trail
Ribbon Cutting at the SJAM Winter Trail Fence Gap
This morning visiting dignitaries officially opened the opening in the fence at Champlain Park, then went down to Remic Rapids for the SJAM Ski Festival.
Here’s part of the story, in photos and video.
Video of Getting into Position for Ribbon Cutting
Continue reading “Ribbon Cutting at the SJAM Winter Trail Fence Gap”
Busy Winter Weekend – Reminder
It’s going to be busy in the park this weekend and we hope you will be able to join us with your family and friends for both of these winter events – the Winter Carnival on Saturday and SJAM Winter Trail Celebration and Ski Festival on Sunday.
Our Winter Carnival event organizers are asking for your help with the following, if you have some free time for a few hours:
- Help with running and assisting with the rink activities during the carnival – if interested please contact: Jim Kot phone 613-722-7519 or e-mail kris.tom@sympatico.ca
- Help with providing Chili or Chili cook pots – please contact: Sarah Kotyck email: sarahkotyck@gmail.com or Natalie Raffoul email: nraffoul@cbrcanada.com
Thanks, we appreciate your support and hope you have fun!
Here’s the Ski Festival schedule from Dave Adams:
SJAM Ski Festival and Pontiac Ribbon Cutting – Reminder
Just a reminder about the Sunday Ski Festival described in a previous post.
It’s starting on morning of January 28th with a ribbon cutting at the new Pontiac Fence Crossing at 09:10, followed by the delegates skiing to the Remic Rapids ski festival site by 09:30.
See the attached Media Invitation from the NCC for more information. Check the Ski Festival web site http://sjam.ca/ for weather updates.
MI – Sir John A. Macdonald Winter Trail Celebration and Ski Festival.pdf
SJAM Ski Festival – January 28
I just noticed that there will be a ski festival on the Winter Trail at the end of the month. There are also rumours of a ribbon cutting in the morning at the Pontiac street fence opening, as mentioned in Jeff Leiper’s newsletter: “I hope you’ll join us at 9:00 am in Champlain Park to kick the day off as reps from the NCC, other levels of government, and I mark the new opening in the fence that used to divide the City and NCC parks. With that portion of Pontiac closed, the two parks will become more and more seamless in the coming months.”
There is a related Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/2023935901181789/ General trail info is at http://www.wintertrail.ca/ and our notes are at https://champlainpark.org/sjam-winter-trail/ The key details from the ski festival’s web site http://sjam.ca/ are:
- Location: Remic Rapids off the Sir John A. McDonald Parkway by the Ottawa river
- 10:00am 1km Ski Scurry (age 10 and under)
- 10:30am 5km Ski Scoot (age 10 to grandparent!)
- Registration requested as numbers are limited
- Onsite registration for the ski events will be available from 9:00-9:45am however we strongly encourage you to register in advance.
- Donations are welcome in person or through the registration link. All proceeds go towards the ongoing operation of the SJAM winter trail. (Please make cheque payable to “Dovercourt Recreation Association” and write “SJAM Winter Trail Project” on the memo line)
- Norwegian embassy will be supporting
- In event of inclement weather the event will be cancelled (please check http://sjam.ca/)
![[Skier with ski trailer for their child]](https://champlainpark.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/20161225_134346_as_9788-skier-with-ski-trailer-for-their-child.jpeg)
Forest Work in Progress
Maybe this Facebook post from the winter trail people https://www.facebook.com/SJAM.Winter.Trail/posts/1547964968605663 about improving the trail in Kitchissippi Woods and this forestry work notice from the NCC are related…
Subject: Ash tree removal along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway by Island Park Drive/ Abattage de frênes le long de la promenade Sir-John-A.-Macdonald à proximité de la promenade Island Park CRM:0025365
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2018 16:40:55 -0500
From: Jocelyne Moncion <jocelyne.moncion@ncc-ccn.ca>
(le texte français suit)
Hello,
As part of its emerald ash borer management strategy, the National Capital Commission (NCC) will be removing ash trees affected by the emerald ash borer along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway close to Island Park Drive.
Continue reading “Forest Work in Progress”
SJAM Winter Trail arrives at Champlain Park
As you are well aware closing down a road, taking down part of an NCC fence to make for more park land is not a trivial matter but this has been accomplished with the efforts of many folks.
The Sir John A. Macdonald Winter Trail in Champlain Park has just opened unofficially, the initial grooming was done last Thursday afternoon to pack down the snow. Once we have more snow the classic X-ski tracks will be laid.
The SJAM – Champlain Park trail portion is a reality; it now crosses Pontiac Street (closed portion of Pontiac) into our park leading up to the Champlain Park Fieldhouse from Champlain Woods.
Continue reading “SJAM Winter Trail arrives at Champlain Park”
Winter Trail User’s Survey
If you used the Sir John A. MacDonald (SJAM) Winter Trail this season, the people behind it (http://www.wintertrail.ca/ and https://twitter.com/SJAMWinterTrail) would like your opinion about the trail and what parts you liked. Take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJAMWinterTrailUserFeedback
By the way, judging by their tweets, they’re still at it, they haven’t given up on grooming – one more snow storm may be coming on Friday!
– Alex
SJAM Winter Trail in the News
It’s nice to see that the new winter trail along the river has made it into the news. Here’s a CTV article on the basics:
http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/mobile/sir-john-a-macdonald-winter-trail-officially-opens-1.3234140
SJAM Winter Trail Fundraising Update
Update by Dovercourt Recreation Association
October 30, 12:59 PM
Just under $200 to reach our $17,500 goal and then its the home stretch! We are planning on some exciting partnership activities with the The Canadian War Museum and the SJAM Winter Trail is the perfect way to get there including their onsite licensed cafe! Please help us finish by sharing this with your friends and family. We’re almost there!
For more information and a great video click here. Project’s regular web site is http://www.wintertrail.ca/
Background: Fundraiser for New Ottawa River Winter Trail Project
From https://fundrazr.com/SJAM.Winter.Trail
- 16 km trail network that extends along 6 km of beautiful Ottawa River shoreline.
- From: Canadian War Museum in the East.
- To: Dominion Station in the West.
- Along the way: Westboro Beach, Island Park, Champlain Park forest trails, Remic Park, Lemieux Island crossing, Prince of Wales train bridge.
- All winter long: 3-4 grooming sessions a week from first snow to spring melt.
- Professional standard: main trails will feature parallel machine-groomed classic ski tracks with firm-packed “cordouroy” centre.
- Multi-use: suitable for skiing skate-skiing, walking, running, fat-tire cycling.
- Side trails: Smaller trails will snake through scenic parks and forests, and connect the trail with side trails, access points, and transit.
- FREE for the public to use! No permits required. Just strap on your skis and go!
- We’ve already done it! Our February 2016 pilot project was a runaway hit; we counted 216 trail users in just one hour!
- We’ve got permission to do it again! The National Capital Commission has given us the go-ahead and support needed for us to use their land for at least the next 3-5 years!
To make this happen, the organizers have to show solid community backing for the project. Which means at least 1/3 of their costs have to be covered by fund-raising campaigns like this one – with the rest coming from sponsors, grants, and government. Your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation: will help them buy, maintain, and fuel their grooming machine, and pay their trail groomer for the first season. Then, if they do very well, your funds will begin to cover the next few years as well.
Champlain Park Community 