Editor: In light of the article about the recently completed 24-hour mountain bike event, I am writing to share our own experience in holding events at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
The Alberta World Cup Society (AWCS) brought FIS world cup cross-country ski racing back to Canada in 2005 by hosting the Centennial World Cup at the Canmore Nordic Centre. In total, we have hosted five FIS world cup cross-country events and one para-nordic world cup event since 2005.
Most recently, we hosted the second half of Ski Tour Canada 2016 with four races at the Canmore Nordic Centre in March 2016. We are currently organizing our second para-nordic world cup event (Dec. 8-17, 2017) and soon expect to be able to announce the next FIS cross-country world cup event to be held in March of 2020.
On the basis of this extensive experience hosting the highest level of international cross-country ski races at the Canmore Nordic Centre, we want to share our opinion and assessment of what it’s like to work with the team at the Nordic Centre.
We want to share our experience with your readers because of the negative portrayal of the CNCPP team in the quotes attributed to Stuart Dorland, owner of the business that operates the 24-hour mountain bike races.
The negative portrayal by Mr. Dorland does not match our experience. In the course of six events we have held since 2005, one being planned for later this year and one in the near future, we have enjoyed working with the Nordic Centre team and management.
We have repeatedly asked them to go above and beyond – each time they delivered in spades. We have succeeded in innovative approaches thanks to their encouragement and assistance.
Sometimes it wasn’t easy and sometimes creative solutions were required, but each time, the Nordic Centre team supported our event with full commitment.
It’s truly unfortunate that Mr. Dorland chose to express his frustrations at his business venture not succeeding by placing blame on the Nordic Centre. It’s unfair for him to personalize his frustrations the way he did.
No team trying to do their best deserves such characterization. The fact that his business did not attract enough customers is perhaps a difficult fact to absorb and accept. Blaming the facility that helped him host many profitable previous iterations of the 24-hour event is misplaced.
The Canmore Nordic Centre is an incredible asset for the Town of Canmore – it is a world-class facility, operated by dedicated and proficient staff, and it’s a provincial park with a broad public mandate.
In our 12 years of hosting experience, we have successfully worked with the team running the CNCPP by respecting their domain and asking them to respect ours. We have found that mutual respect generates goodwill and shared goodwill creates strong partnerships. That’s been our experience.
We don’t want Mr. Dorland’s comments to mislead the residents of Canmore in this regard.
Norbert Meier, president,
Alberta World Cup Cross Country Society
