Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority board will hold a special meeting this week to review two proposals to operate cross-country ski trails at Kinsmen Park.
"Cross-country skiing will be happening in one form or another," said Ernie Gulyas, chairman of the Conservation Authority.
But those involved with the now defunct Sault Trails And Recreation (STAR) question how the trail system can be used if a proponent doesn't ink a deal with all the property owners on the vast Hiawatha Highlands trail system.
Dave Urso, past president of the Kinsmen Club, said the network of trails weaves its way through Conservation Authority property, Kinsmen property, Ministry of Natural Resources land and private property.
Each "trail system" has a variety of owners, other than the Pinder Trail, which is mostly owned by the Conservation Authority.
But the request for proposals (RFP) issued by the authority states only that "a significant portion of the trail system previously utilized by the former STAR is situated on Conservation Authority property."
It doesn't specifically state that agreements will have to be made between the operator and other land owners to access the entire 35-kilometre trail network.
Both submitted proposals, of which The Sault Star has obtained copies, request long-term contracts with the Conservation Authority. Heyden Adventure Base Camp requests a five-year contract while the Soo Finish Nordic Ski Club proposes a 20-year-agreement, with reviews conducted every five years.
The Heyden Adventure Base Camp, in business for three years, proposes to package cross-country ski programs with its present downhill ski operation at Heyden. It wants to run a daily operation open to the general public "with a strong focus on quality programming."
The Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club, affiliated with Cross-Country Ontario and Cross-Country Canada, also wants to run "high-quality, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities" for all ages.
It notes it has been involved with the trails since they were first cut and has fostered cross-country skiing in the area for more than 50 years.
The 12-page proposal outlines all details mentioned in the RFP including insurance, alterations to land, equipment, special events and dispute resolution.
The two-page Heyden Adventure Base Camp report states it has conditions which need to be negotiated, including storage for grooming equipment, use of the Sugar Shack for a day ski area and successful negotiations with Mockingbird Hill Farm for the Pinder extension.
While the Heyden Adventure Base Camp proposal remains silent on the $10,000 land use fees requested by the Conservation Authority, the Nordic Ski Club says it "cannot foresee that these goals (long term viability and infrastructure improvement) can be met, should it be required to pay substantial land use fees on an annual basis, as is prescribed in the Conservation Authority's RFP document."
The Conservation Authority is legislated by the province but receives annual funding from the municipality.
Three council representatives - Mayor John Rowswell and councillors Neil DelBianco and Frank Manzo - are assigned to the five-person board.
The remaining two are community members at large.
When STAR dissolved, provisions needed to be made to dispose of its assets. Both the Conservation Authority and the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club submitted proposals to the Kinsmen Club.
The Ski Club was the successful proponent.
"They know skiing and they run high-quality programs for all levels of skiers and we thought that was in the community's best interest," Urso said.
The club has also successfully held the Ontario Cup on the trails, drawing 300 skiers and their families to Sault Ste. Marie.
A similar Michigan Cup may be in the works for this year if the trail system is utilized.
Timmins has recently received $1 million in government grants to upgrade its cross-country facility.
The Soo Finnish RFP proposal has identified the need to seek out government funding available for the trail system.
The Conservation Authority had planned to issue a press release "to clear some things up," Gulyas said Tuesday. That has since been postponed in favour of calling a special meeting later this week to deal with the issue.
