Introduction

The Kawartha Nordic Ski Club (KNSC) is a nordic ski area located in North Kawartha

North Kawartha, Ontario

North Kawartha is a township in northern Peterborough County, Ontario, Canada.North Kawartha was formed in 1998 through an amalgamation of the Townships of Burleigh and Anstruther and the Township of Chandos...

 township, Peterborough County, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. It was founded in 1976 by a group of avid cross country skiers in Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...

. Today, it offers over 40 kilometres of both classic and skate trails, as well as 10 km of snowshoe trails through scenic, Canadian Shield wilderness. KNSC is a not-for-profit organization, governed by a volunteer board of directors, and operated by numerous volunteers. The club has received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Ontario Trillium Foundation

The Ontario Trillium Foundation , is an agency of the government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading grantmaking foundations. It was created in 1982...

, most recently in 2008 to purchase a Pisten Bully groomer

Trail Conditions

Current trail conditions are posted on the Kawartha Nordic website. Skiers also often post information on the club's chat forum.

Ski Programs

KNSC offers both children and adult ski instruction. The children's programs follow the Cross Country Canada skill development program for Jackrabbit and Track Attack. The youth 'Athlete Development Program' is focussed on more advanced training and racing for 13-18 year olds. Adult programs include group lessons by knowledgeable club members. A series of coaching and officials training is also offered.

History

KNSC was founded in 1976 by a group of avid cross country skiers in Peterborough, Ontario and focussed on operation of the Kawartha Ski Tour. This event attracted skiers from across Ontario as a loppet running from Apsley to Buckhorn, a distance of 40 kilometres. A 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) property was purchased by the club to secure access to ski trails that were developed around the ski tour. The tour was cancelled in the early 1990s due in part to inconsistent snow conditions. Marjorie Shephard's book "The Kawartha Nordic Ski Club 1974-2004, 30 Dedicated Years" details the club's history over this time.

With support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, KNSC opened skating trails for the 2002-2003 season and membership grew steadily. The club was rapidly outgrowing its facilities and so in 2004, the Nordic Legacy campaign was initiated to purchase 350 acres (1.4 km²) of land and build a new chalet. The club benefited from the generosity of the Church family who purchased the new property in 2004 on an interim basis to protect it from other uses. The Cossar Cabin and surrounding 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of land were sold in 2005. Construction of the new chalet continued through the winter of 2005-2006 and members went without a main chalet that year. By December 2006, the club opened a brand new square log chalet on the new nordic legacy property immediately south of the old property. Also that year, 10 kilometres of snowshoe trails were opened. The next major expansion (again with funding from the Trillium Foundation) was to come in 2008 with the purchase of a Pisten Bulley groomer which greatly improved the quality of grooming and overall skiing experience.

Ski Seasons

Ski Season	Start Date	End Date	Length in Days
2009-2010	Dec 11, 2009	Mar 11, 2010	90
2010-2011	Dec 14, 2010	Mar 18, 2011	94