Since 1965, the Drayton Valley Brazeau Snow Club has operated a community ski hill just north of the townsite. However, after years of weather challenges and insurance-related issues, the non-profit announced it would be permanently closing.
President Randy Beckett has been running the non-profit for the last eight years.
“It’s extremely hard on us and emotional for those of us that been here for years,” Beckett told Global News.
Beckett says the lack of snowfall and warmer weather is mostly to blame. In the last seven winters, the hill was only open for three ski seasons.
“We’ve never been open longer than one month, 4 days a week,” he explained. “Nowadays we get the eight inches of snow. Sun comes out. Two days later, we have two inches of snow.”
The non-profit is run by volunteers. The buildings, the equipment, and the gear were all donated by Alberta businesses. Beckett says to keep the hill running, they would need 10 volunteers throughout the shift.
But, the unpredictable weather meant inconsistency in keeping the hill open. That made it challenging to solidify volunteers to run the facility.
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“Volunteers in any organization like this are getting difficult for everyone. It’s the volunteer organizations that are taking the hits because people have so many different directions to go now,” he said.
The group said insurance premiums kept rising and they weren’t able to sustain their existing insurance policy.
Beckett said coverage was first paid for by Brazeau County but they had eventually stopped. The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) also pitched in to alleviate some of the pressures.
In 2022, the RMA was not able to renew the $14,000 insurance premium.
“Due to past ski hill losses within our program and across Canada, insurers were reluctant to insure these specific risks, and ski hills were positioned outside of the risk profile of our partnered program,” RMA President Kara Westerlund said.
“Given that specialized insurance options for ski hills already exist, and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the program while maintaining affordable rates for the many community organizations we serve, RMA Insurance was unable to continue coverage for ski hills within the program,” Westerlund added.
The advocacy group says they explored every option to retain this coverage but the realities of the insurance market made it impossible.
The facility meant so much more than enjoying sports for Beckett. He said having this facility during his childhood kept a lot of kids out, including himself, out of trouble.
“That is the biggest thing that people are sad about. They grew up here,” he said. “This place kept a lot of us on the streets.”
All of the hills’ equipment has been moved to a facility run by ‘Team Auction’. Starting Monday, people can bid for snow tubes, skis, helmets, furniture pieces, and other belongings of the organization during an online auction that ends on Wed. Dec. 11.
The 42 acres of land will also be auctioned off in March. Fifty per cent of the commission will go towards a charity of Beckett’s choosing.
“I’m trying to extend the legacy of all the people before me,” Beckett explained.
“I’m not very happy with the situation to shut down. I feel responsible but I’m a realist. I have to look at the facts and put that up to the people and decisions have to be made,” he added.
Beckett thanks the community and organizations for supporting the non-profit for the last 60 years.
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