BY SCOTT HADDOW
Wild Northerner staff
Peter Crooks spent 21 years working at Kamview Nordic Centre. He retired at the end of November.
Crooks is well known in the skiing scene in Canada and the world thanks to an impressive and long resume featuring many national and international honours. He got into skiing in the late 60s and ran a retail shop in Thunder Bay until the 80s. Crooks was a competitive skier and also worked for major events such as the 1995 Nordic world championship and the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Crooks has been and worked around a lot of different people and events and venues, but his two-plus decades of time spent with Kamview hold the biggest place in his heart.
“Skiing is my life,” Crooks said. “My time at Kamview has been special and it has been amazing. It’s one of the best jobs in skiing in Canada.”
KNC is solely-owned by Thunder Bay Nordic Trails, a not-for-profit organization started in 1982. It is one of the largest ski clubs in Canada with more than 1,400 regular members and more than 100-km of groomed trails in three distinct areas: Kamview Nordic Centre, Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Members have unlimited access to all three sites. There is also a snow-making machine on-site, which Crooks built himself.
“We are a busy and fun place for all ages,” Crooks said. “All the people work together and it is a nice, family-oriented club with a positive feeling to it all the time.”
The hub of the club is KNC. It is located just minutes from Thunder Bay. There is a chalet with warm food and places to relax. There are also ski gear rentals for people to get going. There are 30-km of groomed Skate and Classic trails as well as 5.5-km of night lighted trails to enjoy the fun until 10 p.m. There is also an extensive Jackrabbits program to get youth interested in and learning to ski.
At Kakabeka Falls PP, 25 minutes from the city, there are more than 10-km of groomed trails ranging from beginner to intermediate skiers. A little further from Thunder Bay is Sleeping Giant PP, located about 75-km east of the city. This system offers skiers more than 50-km of picturesque trails through snow-covered pines for the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels in Skate and Classic. This site is also host to the internationally-recognized Sleeping Giant Loppet, which takes place the first Saturday in March.
KNC communications coordinator Alison Hart has been skiing for more than 25 years and has been a member for more than 10 years at the club. Going to the club is a family tradition.
“When the season opens, my family is there two to four times a week,” Hart said. “It’s a lifestyle for us. We have a tradition to come out Thursday and ski with family and friends and then we all eat at the chalet and talk and laugh. We count down the days to when the trails are open. Most people look forward to the summer, but not my family. We look forward to winter.”
Nordic skiing provides a getaway for people and can be a life-long sport. Hart does her best to get more people out each year to try cross-country skiing.
“When I’m on the trails, I feel like I’m in the middle of nowhere even though I am only five minutes from town,” Hart said. “We come across deer, martens and other wildlife. It is beautiful. If you’re visiting the city or want to try skiing, we can completely outfit anyone from head to toe so they can take advantage of what we have. I have a goal at the start of each season to convince another friend to join and try skiing. I’m doing good with it. I have one friend I got addicted to skiing a while ago and now, she skis more than me! Who will I convince this season? I’m working on it.”
As for Crooks, 68, retirement isn’t going to keep him away from the trails. His skiing time is just beginning.
“My plan is to ski a lot,” Crooks said with a hearty laugh. “I’ll still be involved with consulting, so I’m not going too far. Cross-country skiing is my passion and something that just grew on me. I’ll always be close to Kamview. I’ve worked and been involved with a lot of different clubs over the years and Kamview is the best bar none in my opinion.”
For more information about Kamview Nordic Centre and programs, go to tbnordictrails.com
Traditions on the trails