A Sault Trails and Recreation founding partner is pulling out of the non-profit group because of its “dysfunctional” relationship with other members.
“The long and the short of it is there was a lot of infighting among the partners,” said Kinsmen Club president Dave Urso.
“Just like any dysfunctional family, it wasn’t going anywhere and the Kinsmen had enough.”
STAR was formed in 1987 by the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority, Sault Finnish Nordic Ski Club and the Kinsmen Club.
The group maintains 38 kilometres of cross-country ski trails at Hiawatha Highlands.
The community service group is the second charter member to leave STAR in less than five years.
The municipal government pulled out about four years ago because “STAR was on firm ground and there was no more role for them,” said chairman Scott Jones, “They were really in a mentoring or guiding role,” he said.
The Kinsmen Club became frustrated with “all kinds of issues,” including equipment maintenance, quality of trail grooming and the hiring of staff during the last several years, said Urso. “We just said, Enough is enough. We want out.’ ”
STAR issued a brief, three-sentence press release Thursday announcing the group’s restructuring.
Neither that release, nor Jones in an interview with The Sault Star, said the Kinsmen Club was unhappy with the group.
Jones said the service group left because it is “starting to wear thin” with too few members.
“STAR was actually progressing quite nicely now so they want to go on and do what the Kinsmen best do,” he said.
Urso acknowledged the club has only 12 members, but said that’s not what prompted the STAR decision.
“It’s more of an issue of the dynamics of the partners of STAR and their differing visions than manpower,” he said.
STAR programs, including snowshoe and ski package rentals, won’t be affected by the restructuring, Jones said.
“The average person would not really see anything different,” he said.
“We’ll be up and running again in September.”
Twenty-three kilometres of trail are either owned by the Kinsmen Club or leased by the Kinsmen from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The Kinsmen said they are willing to make that land available following STAR’s restructuring.
Urso would like to see STAR have a management team operate at arm’s-length from the group’s partners.
“Step back and let them run it,” he said. “It has to be run like a business. That’s the bottom line. It would be better for everybody.”
STAR’s budget is about $130,000 to $150,000. The group sold about 1,200 ski passes this season, said Jones.
The Kinsmen Club has operated a 247-acre park on Landslide Road for 56 years.
