Larch Hills Chalet Expansion
Presentation to Membership
A. When Is the Chalet at Larch Hills too Small for the Membership?
• Every Saturday from December to March when the ski team practices. It is
even busier for the 8 Saturdays that Jackrabbits runs. On the days that
Jackrabbits runs and ski team is also there we have no less than 240 kids and
their families using the facilities.
• Every Tuesday and Wednesday after school from December to March when the
ski team practices.
• When there is a course running at Larch Hills and they are using the chalet as a
classroom
•
Every day during the two week Christmas Break. Last season the parking lot
was full every single day of the two week break.
• Every week day that a school takes students up in January to prepare for the
Pirate Loppet. Approximately 330 students take part in this and each one goes
2-3 times for a total usage of 1000 students.
• Every week day that a school takes students up during the winter for a skiing
or snowshoe field trip.
• Any day that a club such as Guides or Scouts has rented the Chalet and other
general club members want to also use the facilities.
• During every event that Larch Hills Hosts. This season Larch Hills will be
hosting:
1. Santa Cruise
2. Fun Race
3. Reino Keski Salmi Loppet (400+)
4. BC Midget Championships (250+)
5. Pirate Loppet (400+)
6. Lantern Ski
• During every non skiing event in the off season, such as; the Reino Run and
high school cross country races.
A typical Saturday morning
B. When is the Chalet at Larch Hills NOT too Small for the Membership?
•
•
On some weekdays when just adult week day skiers are using the trails.
Sometimes on Sundays during the season when youth programs are not
running.
Rationale for Larch Hills Nordic Society Chalet Expansion
Comparison of Larch Hills Chalet Size vs. Membership in 2014-2015 and Other Cross Country Ski Clubs in British Columbia:
• Larch Hills – Chalet Size - 1200sf
Membership Size – 968
Golden – Chalet Size – 2000sf + 400sf Cabin
Membership Size - 592
• Caledonia (Prince George) – Chalet Size – 4500sf plus large timing building.
Membership Size – 1633 **Increased memberships by 667 since 2005!**
Blackjack (Rossland) – 400sf
Membership Size - 700
• Revelstoke Nordic – Chalet Size – 3600sf
Membership Size – 656
Quesnel – Chalet Size – 3000sf
Membership Size - 450
• Nickel Plate (Penticton) - Chalet Size – 4000sf
Membership Size – 557
Burns Lake – Chalet Size – 3000sf
Membership Size - 276
• Bulkley Valley (Smithers) – Chalet Size – 3200sf
Membership Size – 571
Sovereign Lake – Chalet Size – 3500sf plus technical building
Membership Size - 1681
• Telemark (Kelowna) – Chalet Size – 3000sf
Membership – 1077
Overlander (Kamloops) – Chalet Size – 2400sf
Membership Size - 605
• 100 Mile House – Chalet Size – 3000sf
Membership - 135
Kimberley – Chalet Size – 1200sf + 600sf Wax Cabin
Membership Size - 897
Notes: This is a comparison of Larch Hills and other clubs in BC. It is important to note that although Larch Hills has one of the highest
memberships we have a smaller chalet than every club except one. Also, keep in mind that our club has the largest ski team in British
Columbia with 100 kids and our Jackrabbit program is one of the largest in BC with 140 kids.
Proposal
The Larch Hills Chalet Expansion Committee
proposes to build an addition to increase the total
square footage of the chalet from 1200sf up to
3600sf. As a committee we do not feel that it would
be appropriate to go through with the time, effort
and expense to build anything smaller than this. In
speaking with some of the above listed clubs about
their chalet size, they all felt that it was adequate
for their membership. The only one that indicated
that it was not quite big enough was Nickel Plate
(4000sf)
They said,
“It is lots of space except when the kids program is
on Saturday when it is just enough for families,
table and chair space fills up quickly. It also gets full
during the grade 5 ski program midweek when we
have larger groups, though it is still adequate. We
currently have 1600 kids in the school program, 63
kids in our Jackrabbit program and 15 on the Junior
Race Team.”
THE CLIMATE CHANGE QUESTION
Many other ski clubs in the region and in the province are
faced with similar challenges in terms of elevation. Revelstoke
Nordic recently constructed a large chalet at a significantly
lower elevation than that of LHNS, and Telemark and
Overlander have chalets that are at elevations similar to that
of LHNS.
There has been considerable infrastructure development at
the existing chalet site already including; construction of a
substantial groomer shed, constructions of bathrooms in the
present chalet, improvements to the existing chalet, stadium
and sprint course improvements, and caretaker’s facilities.
Moving the existing infrastructure and developing a trail
system at a higher elevation would be prohibitively expensive
and does not appear to be warranted at this time. More details
on following page.
If, in the future, climate change is such that the present
stadium area no longer receives sufficient snowfall for skiing,
the area will likely be well used by out of season groups for
many years to come – an expanded chalet will still be of value
to groups that participate in equestrian, mountain biking and
trail running and will be an asset of LHNS.
Our Chalet Expansion Committee is confident that this
amazing recreational area will be used for cross country skiing
for many years to come.
Moving the Larch Hills Ski Area to a Higher Elevation
A number of factors need to be taken into consideration if the Larch Hills ski area were to be moved to a higher elevation:
1. Value of Existing Infrastructure

Track setter Building
$170, 100

Log Chalet with plumbing and electrical $202,650

Water Well
$15,000
$387, 500
• Cost of Last Upgrade – Basement and Washrooms, all phases
$83,948
2. Non-building infrastructure that would need to be created at a cost to have the same quality of ski area as we do at
the existing site.

Parking Lot

Stadium

Public Road

Hydro

Water Source

Trail Infrastructure – ie race trails, beginner loops etc.
3. Other considerations that would need to be made before moving the site.

Land Use/ownership – wood lots, parks, bogs, public land, private landownership, range licenses etc.

Road infrastructure - $100,000 cost to upgrade 5-6km of road to Cec’s cabin to 2 lane forestry road
standards, but not to public road standards.

Upgrading Larch Hills Road and making it a traffic thoroughfare would divide the ski area, cause safety
concerns, and make the drive to skiing longer, which may result in a decrease in the number of users.

If we go the private road route, then it would be $3000-$5000/100 ft to install hydro. A pathway for the
hydro would be needed that would include an environmental impact assessment and permission from all
land use parties involved.

If it is a private road, then LH would be responsible for all maintenance and snow removal.
4. Timeline to build at a higher elevation 5+ years at a cost of up to $1,000,000. Would there be volunteer members
of the club that had the time to dedicate to such an extensive project?
Source:
Pacific Climate Impacts
Consortium pacificclimate.org
This figure shows the range of projected Winter - DJF precipitation as snow* change (percent), for the North Okanagan region over three time
periods (2020s, 2050s, and 2080s), according to a PCIC-standard set of GCM projections (see 'Notes' tab for more information). The range of change
based on this set of projections is indicated as follows:
•The black line indicates the mid-point (median) in the set.
•The blue line indicates the model used for display purposes (CGCM3 A2 run 4).
•The dark grey shading shows the middle 50% (25th to 75th percentiles), representing half of the projections in the set.
•The light grey shading shows the range according to 80% of the climate change projections used (10th to 90th percentiles).
Impact:
• Decrease in Snowpack (Possible
shorter snow on ground period,
Possible decrease in snowpack,
Possible reduced snowfall)
• High Intensity Precipitation
• Increase in Hot and Dry Conditions
• Increase in Temperature
• Longer Dry Season
• Possible Change in Productivity
• Possible Flooding
• Reduced Water Supply
• Waterlogged Soil
Nickel Plate Penticton
Sovereign - Vernon
Overlander Kamloops
Kimberley
Golden
100 Mile House
Blackjack - Rossland
Telemark
Larch Hills
Williams Lake
Smithers
Quesnel
Burns Lake
Revelstoke
Otway - Prince
George
Elevation [m]
2000
Ski Club Chalet Elevations
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Snow depths at the Parking Lot level from
2007-2015:
2007
Jan 5 – 61cm
Mar 1 – 87cm
2008
Jan 12 – 58cm
Mar 1 – 53cm
2009
Jan 12 – 71cm
Mar 5 – 74cm
2010
Jan 9 – 36cm
Mar 4 – 4cm
2011
Jan 1 – 39cm
Mar 1 – 73cm
2012
Jan 7 – 28cm
Mar 3 – 58cm
2013
Jan 2 – 33cm
Mar 2 – 54cm
2014
Jan 4 – 62 cm
Mar 1 – 74 cm
2015
Jan 3 – 43cm
Feb 28 – 36cm
2016
Jan 2 - ??cm
Display Mr. Grainger and Dr. O’Neill letter
Viewed from Parking Lot
Viewed from Stadium
Viewed from current “gathering area”
Expansion Details
•
•
•
•
•
·
·
·
·
·
•
28’ x 45’ – 1200 sq ft x 2 levels = 2400 sq ft
Total 3600 sq ft with existing 1200 sq ft
Existing bathrooms, electrical remain
Existing chalet roof replaced to match
Estimated $360,000 before donated labour and materials for extension
Roof tie in to existing Chalet $3000
Architectural Drawings $15,000-$25,000
Building permits $500
Heating $15,000
Reroofing existing chalet $4000
Sub Total for all of the above $407,500
How Can We Pay For It ?
The following organizations have grant programs that have been identified as potentially
suitable for this project:
• Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust
• Hosting B.C.
• Mountain Equipment Coop Community Grants
• “Building Canada Fund”
• B.C. Job Creation Program
• CSRD or NORD Economic Opportunity Funds
• Shuswap Community Foundation
Additional potential sources of funding for this project include:
•
•
•
•
•
Larch Hills Nordic Society savings earmarked for Chalet expansion
Donations/grants from local service clubs and businesses
Corporate and individual donors of supplies, cash and “in kind” labour
Fundraising events
Line of Credit / Loan from Credit Union
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF GRANT FUNDING FOR LARCH HILLS CHALET EXPANSION
FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAMS
Building Canada Fund – British Columbia Communities Component - Sport
Building Canada Fund – Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund
PROVINCIAL GRANT PROGRAMS
Hosting BC (Event affiliated infrastructure development grants)
2015 – Callaghan Valley Nordic (Whistler) $10,000
2015 – Sovereign Lake Nordic (Vernon) $2500
2015 – Caledonia Nordic (Prince George) $9,000
2014 – Caledonia Nordic (Prince George) $2500
2014 – Telemark Nordic (Kelowna) $3000
2014 – Sovereign Lake Nordic (Vernon) $5000
2010 – CSRD Economic Opportunity Fund (Golden) $115,000
2010 & 2014 – Southern Initiative Development Fund (Golden) $100,000
B.C. Parks Community Legacy Fund
REGIONAL GRANT PROGRAMS
Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust
2014 – Black Jack Nordic (Rossland) $10,000
2012-13 – Revelstoke Nordic $50,000
2010 – Black Jack Nordic (Rossland) $50,000
MUNICIPAL GRANT PROGRAMS
CSRD / NORD – Economic Opportunity Fund
2014 – Revelstoke Nordic $75,000
Salmar Community Association
Shuswap Community Foundation Grants
Shuswap Tourism
SERVICE ORGANIZATION / CORPORATE GRANT PROGRAMS
Mountain Equipment Co-op “Community Contributions”
2014 – Fernie Nordic Society $12,500
SASCU “Community Endowment Fund”
Rotary Clubs of Salmon Arm
Excellent Local Example
THE NEW DAY LODGE ON MT MACPHERSON - REVELSTOKE
A couple of years ago, Dave Kaegi had a vision. “I saw the need for a day lodge at Mt. Macpherson, so I went to the
Nordic Ski Club executive, told them I’d join and see it done.” He smiles. “Course it’s always more work than you think
it’ll be. But everybody came through. It wouldn’t have happened without all the support and effort from the club
membership and from so many different directions. We raised nearly $450,000 but I bet we’ve had over $800,000 in
local contributions and volunteer labour.”
It started with a feasibility study that proposed and priced out a variety of scenarios including the day lodge,
custodian residence, maintenance facility, a micro-hydro project which would have supplied electricity, and nightlighting for the Mickey Olsen loop. The membership voted on the options and over 90% said, “go for it all”. Then came
the work of rounding up funding and the arduous task of applying for and receiving the license of occupation from the
Integrated Land Management Bureau. Kaegi knew this part would require full-time dedication for a while but with the
majority of his business taking place during the summer months he knew he could take the time in winter to see it
through. “I’m a doer and I had the background for this type of thing. Plus, I’m passionate about it”. Through sheer
steadfast perseverance, the license was acquired within a year – a process that usually can take 2 to 5 years.
The club itself laid the first money on the table, in the form of $50,000 cash and the promise of ‘sweat equity’ –
volunteer donation of time and labour. This level of commitment proved to be a key leverage point for raising funds.
The club wanted to build a lodge that would be a testament to Revelstoke’s history, one that would stand the test of
time and be a positive reflection on the community.
And the community came through. The first landmark was a complete rendering of the building designs by Glenn
O’Reilly – free of charge. For the (incredible!) list of contributions, see below….
When Kaegi’s busy season started up in the spring, Kevin Bollefer stepped up and took the lead on project
management. With the exception of the feasibility study, all work by both Kaegi and Bollefer has been volunteer, and
when the budget got tight, the call went out to club members to “be part of building the lodge”. Some people spent a
day, while others have repeatedly come out to do all manner of work from painting inside to raking gravel outside.
The end result is a modest but well-built day lodge with the custodian residence above, a spacious maintenance
facility to house grooming equipment, a stadium track for races, and a terrain park for kids. Club fees remain low,
while membership has already hit an all time high. “Now we have the capacity to hold regional races, and the goal
within 5 years is to host a BC cup race”, says Kaegi. General estimates are that each regional event would bring about
$30,000 into the community. The generosity of Revelstoke just doesn’t stop.
THE REVELSTOKE NORDIC SKI CLUB THANKS THE FOLLOWING:
MAJOR FINANCIAL DONORS
Columbia Basin Trust
BC (Resort Municipalities) Tourism Infrastructure Program
CSRD
BC Job Creation Partnership
MINOR FINANCIAL DONORS
Revelstoke Credit Union
BC Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts
Deb Long
CORPORATE & INDIVIDUAL DONATORS OF SUPPLIES & IN-KIND LABOUR
Selkirk Design Works – lodge design Kepex Services- equipment and truck hauling Silvertip Aviation –
Fuel donation Sure Haul – equipment hauling donation Alan McInnes – equipment operator Jack Howe –
equipment operator MOF Fire Crews – falling timber Revelstoke Septic – septic installation Strong Roofing
– roofing Kozek Sawmills Ltd – log purchase & lumber Gorman Bros. Ltd. – spruce lumber Wrights
Machine Shop – metal stairs Duguay Contracting – drywall hanging & finish Bhex Contracting –
equipment time Green Cat – main floor cabinet construction Revelstoke Builders – building supplies H&J
Readymix – concrete and aggregate Battersby Plumbing – plumbing and fixtures Thunderstone Quarries
– rock donation Barton Insurance – office furniture Revelstoke Equipment Rental – equipment rental
Shuswap Concrete Pumping – concrete pumping J’s Pumps and Plumbing – water pump installation
Glacier Building Supply – majority of building supplies Speers Construction – equipment and operator
donation Revelstoke Community Forest Corp– supervisory time Downie Timber Ltd. – cedar & fir lumber
& equipment donation Selkirk Vinly – Maintenance Shop door installation Wildland Consulting Ltd. –
supervisory time Ed Vigue – equipment operator McKenzie Contracting – log hauling Mark DesMazes–
equipment operator Vic Van Isle – rebar & rentals Glenn Power Contractors – power pole install Ursus
Building Corp – equipment time Canyon Electric – electrical and lighting Rough Country Marine – pellet
stove Jemb Systems – alarm and low voltage wiring Take it to Heart Contracting – fir post and beams
Dankoe Insulating – blow-in insulation Rebel Boom Truck – deliveries Expressive Interior – paint
Revelstoke Flooring Ltd.- flooring throughout Phil DesMazes – equipment time TRT Architect Ltd. –
architectural services KMR Trucking- equipment and truck hauling Bear Canyon Cabinet Co – upstairs
cabinets Wangler Drilling Ltd. – drilled well Ken Gibson and the Ministry of Forest staff Salmon Arm Truss
– roof and floor trusses
Prince George Expansion
Nickel Plate Expansion
THANK YOU !