Wax up those skis
Islanders looking to work off some of that Christmas turkey dinner may want to consider heading to the hills — the ski hills.
The Brookvale Provincial Ski Park announced Thursday that it is opening for the season on Boxing Day.
“As long as the weather holds the way it’s predicted to right now, (and) we’re still making snow,’’ said Erin Curley, assistant superintendent with the park. “We’ll be opening with just one run, unfortunately. However we are excited to have that one open. It does mean we won’t have any beginner (hill) available on Boxing Day.’’
The snow-making machines are busy on the other runs at Brookvale, but the park isn’t quite ready to open them, and no date has been announced since, obviously, the weather could quickly change things either way.
“If, for some reason, the weather changes, we might have to adjust our schedule.’’
The opening day at Brookvale tends to change every year because of the dependency on snow and cold temperatures, but Curley said they’re not far off their usual opening date.
Curley said the park is not completely dependent on snowfalls to get all its runs open, but making snow does take time, as long as the temperatures are cold enough to prevent the snow from melting as soon as it hits the ground.
The park operates on Boxing Day from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Curley said they’ll be reducing the rates as well as people slap on their skis for the first time, at least at Brookvale. Lift tickets will be $13.80 for the day while rental packages will also be $13.80 for the day.
The snow school at the park is also still accepting winter group registrations until Dec. 31.
Joseph Alfred Gallant, a Second World War veteran and one of the Stratford Heroes featured on the Remembrance Day banners, was recognized by Stratford Mayor David Dunphy at a recent town council meeting.
“We are happy to recognize Joe for his service to country and for inspiring our youth, who look up to people like Joe, who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for others,” Dunphy said.
Gallant was a Royal Canadian Engineer in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. He enlisted on Jan. 8, 1943, and was discharged on Feb. 26, 1946.
He is one of the war heroes that Stratford honours through its Stratford Heroes program where posters of veterans are displayed at the Stratford Town Centre and throughout the town on bus shelters leading up to Remembrance Day.
In the past few years, Gallant has laid the wreath at the Remembrance Day service on behalf of veterans of the town.