Without funding, ski club in Hay River, N.W.T., could shut down in 2025, director says

The local ski club has been a staple in Hay River, N.W.T., since 1974, but without new funding it could be closing its doors by April 15, 2025, according to one of its directors.

Since the 1980s, the Hay River Ski Club has relied on the N.W.T. lotteries fund. In 2016, however, legislative changes meant the ski club would no longer qualify.

The territory’s department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) offered transitional funding through an annual grant over five years. But the department says that was always meant to be temporary.  

MACA also offered an additional “one-time contribution” to the club from 2021-2023 following the transitional funding. 

But now, that money is running out and Hay River Ski Club director Chuck Lirette says the club won’t be able to run without it. 

“Without any funding coming in, we’re basically surviving this season and next on money that we have in the bank,” he said.

Lirette says the ski club operates a “top-notch” facility with 15 kilometres of trails, youth programs, cross-country skiing and biathlon. He pointed to Olympic biathlete Brendan Green, who is from Hay River and used to train at the ski club.

“The facility and the trails that we have in Hay River would rival any other cross-country facility across the country,” Lirette said.

Lirette said he has petitioned to MACA for help, even having meetings with a former minister of MACA to try to get the department to maintain funding for the club.

“Thus far, we have been unable to do so,” Lirette said. 

A spokesperson for MACA said the department has treated the club like any other community sports group.

“MACA has also provided information to the Hay River Ski Club, to assist it in formulating its own long-term funding approach, consistent with how other community-based sport clubs operate within the Northwest Territories,” the spokesperson wrote.

MACA has also encouraged the Hay River club to work with Sport North, a territorial organization. But Lirette said that Sport North’s funding comes from MACA and the club would prefer to cut the middleman and go to MACA directly.

Lirette said that the club has been raising funds and has had some donations but that it’s only had moderate success with proposal applications. He said most need to be tailored to events and not operational costs, which is where the club needs funding the most.

He said the club would have to raise about $40,000 for its operations.

“That’s a lot for a group to have to fundraise annually. It’s beyond what we can do as a group of volunteers,” he said.

He said the club’s membership last year was around 160 to 170 people.