I appreciate the attention that The Sault Star has given the issue of ski trails in Sault Ste. Marie, however I wish to set straight that the intention of the e-mail I sent was not to draw attention to the possible conflict of interest so much as to indicate the ongoing effort of the Conservation Authority to try and profit from what has traditionally been a non-profit activity.
Many activities ongoing on Conservation Authority property have never required a request for proposal or any type of remuneration.
The attempt to do so for skiing is nothing but a cash grab.
I invite those interested to read the entire text of my e-mail at http://www.nordicskiracer.com.
It is possible that a private ski trail operator may be a good way of doing business at Hiawatha.
I have no doubt that Brian Anstess would do an excellent job of maintaining quality ski trails, however I would prefer to see Soo Finnish be the operator of the trail system for several reasons.
They are willing to commit for a long term, have more than 50 years of investment in these trails, and possess the expertise, equipment and desire to run a quality operation.
Since they are the single group with only the well being of skiers in mind (as opposed to profit), I would suggest that control of operations be turned over to Soo Finnish on a no-cost basis, who could then negotiate with private contractors such as Heyden Adventure Base Camp if and when required.
Landowners would benefit from this arrangement by being removed from the necessity of monitoring operations on a day-to-day basis, as well as having upgrades and maintenance done to their trail systems year round.
Soo Finnish, as a non-profit organization, is also eligible for funding sources a private operator would not be.
If Hiawatha ski trails were run properly, without the interference seen in the past, they could be a profitable operation that would allow better development of existing trail systems for year-round users, and new development as well.
Ray Boucher, Wawa, Ont.
