Strathcona Nordic Ski Club

At Strathcona Nordics, there’s no one right way to love skiing. ❄️

Maybe you’re four years old, putting on skis for the first time. Maybe you’re nine and the best part of Saturday morning is skiing the Ponds with your friends. Maybe you discover that you love racing. Or maybe, like SNSC alumna Amelia Wells, those early days on the trails at Mount Washington eventually take you all the way to the Olympic Games. 🇨🇦

That’s what we love about our club. We’re here for the friendships, the fresh air, the hot chocolate, the adventures and the simple joy of being outside on skis. And for those who want to see just how far they can go, we’re here for that too.

There’s no wrong way to be a Strathcona Nordic Skier. From first-timers to lifelong recreational skiers, racers, Masters and even Olympians! There’s a place on the trails for everyone.

Come ski with us. ⛷️❤️
Registration opens October 15.

❄️ THIS IS NORDIC SKIING ON VANCOUVER ISLAND. 🏔️
55 kilometres of groomed trails- Big mountains-Breathtaking views- An incredible ski community.

Not a bad place to call home. 💙

Somewhere under this summer heat, Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Strathcona Park are quietly getting ready to do it all again. We’re 51 days out from registration opening (October 15, 2026) at the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club. Over the next few weeks we’ll walk you through every program we run, from four-year-olds on their first pair of skis to Masters racers chasing a personal best- plus our newest program, the Marmots.

Winter is closer than it feels!

🎥: Nick Thornton
📸: Nick Thornton

Big congratulations to SNSC athlete Ben Pechter, whose RBC Training Ground journey recently took him all the way to the ski jumps! 🙌

Ben was one of four SNSC/VIBC athletes who took part in RBC Training Ground in Victoria this spring. His performance earned him an invitation from Ski Jumping Canada to Calgary, where he joined 42 athletes from across the country for two days of sport-specific testing focused on speed, power, balance and flexibility.

Ben’s results placed him in Group A, earning him an invitation to a three-day ski jumping camp at the Norge Ski Club near Chicago! 🇨🇦➡️🇺🇸

With 22 athletes from seven provinces taking part, Ben went from never having ski jumped to progressing quickly through the camp. After starting on the 5m hill, he moved to the 10m and eventually the 22/25m hill — finishing the camp as one of only two athletes to jump from the high bar! 🚀

It was an incredible opportunity to try a completely new sport, meet athletes and coaches from across Canada, and see where the RBC Training Ground pathway can lead.
Ben will now wait to hear whether he is selected for additional Ski Jumping Canada camps or nominated for the final round of RBC Training Ground testing in Toronto.

Way to represent SNSC, Ben! We can’t wait to see where this adventure takes you next! 👏

🚗❄️ Save $100 on Winter Tires & Support SNSC! ❄️🚗

Winter may still feel a long way off, but now is the perfect time to get ready!

Thanks to Cross Country BC’s partnership with Kal Tire, SNSC members can receive $100 off a set of Nokian winter tires. Even better, every coupon redeemed helps support grassroots cross-country skiing in British Columbia through Kal Tire’s ongoing sponsorship of youth ski programs, coach development, equipment, and more.

There’s a little friendly competition too! The six BC clubs with the highest coupon redemption rates (per member) will earn prizes to support their programs, including a $5,000 BC Ski Team apparel package for first place.

✅ Coupon valid until September 30
🚙 Redeem by showing the digital coupon at any Kal Tire location.
🔗 Get your coupon here: https://bit.ly/2026KTCoupon

If you’re planning to purchase winter tires this season, this is an easy way to save money while giving back to the sport we all love.

Thank you to Kal Tire for their continued support of Nordic skiing in British Columbia!

🐾 Meet the Marmots!
The next chapter of our athlete pathway is here!
We’re excited to introduce the Marmots Program, an exciting new collaboration between the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club and the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club for athletes aged 9-13.

For years we’ve been asking ourselves one important question: How do we keep more kids skiing after Jackrabbits?

We know that for many families, the jump from Level 4 Jackrabbits into our traditional Devo program felt like a big step. Some young skiers were ready to dive into racing, while others simply wanted to keep building skills, ski with friends, and enjoy being active outdoors.

The Marmots Program is our answer.

Our former Devo program has evolved into one inclusive program with two pathways:

🐾 Level 5 – A fun, flexible introduction where athletes continue developing their classic and skate skiing skills, experience biathlon, and build confidence while discovering what they enjoy most.

🐾 Level 6 – Additional training opportunities for athletes who are ready for a greater commitment and want to challenge themselves through racing and competition.
One thing hasn’t changed: the competitive athlete development that has always been the heart of our Devo program isn’t going anywhere. It now exists within the Marmots Program Level 6, ensuring race-focused athletes continue to receive the coaching and opportunities they need while making it easier for more young skiers to stay involved in the sport.

Whether your child wants to race, explore biathlon, or simply continue skiing with friends, there’s now a place for everyone to grow, learn, and thrive.

This partnership with Vancouver Island Biathlon Club is about more than a new program, it’s about creating a stronger athlete pathway, keeping more kids involved in Nordic sports, and building a lifelong love of skiing.
We can’t wait to welcome our first Marmots this winter! ❤️🖤💙🤍

🌄 Learning. Growing. Connecting.
This summer, Zainab El Amiri and Clara Harmatiuk represented the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club at the inaugural Western Canada Junior Camp, hosted by the Alberta World Cup Academy in Canmore.

Over three action-packed days, athletes from across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and the Yukon came together for an incredible weekend of roller ski training, technical analysis, strength and conditioning, race tactics, educational seminars, and endurance sessions. They also had the opportunity to learn from Alberta World Cup Academy coaches, current academy athletes, and Olympians, gaining valuable insight into high-performance training and athlete development.

Just as important as the training was the opportunity to connect with other young skiers from across Western Canada, building friendships, sharing experiences, and creating memories that will last well beyond the camp.

Great job Zainab and Clara for embracing this opportunity and embracing the challenge. 👏

❄️ SNSC Athlete Cameron Meldrum at Haig Glacier Camp 🚁

What an incredible summer experience for SNSC athlete Cameron Meldrum, who recently attended the Cross Country BC Haig Glacier Camp in Canmore, Alberta.

Cameron was invited to join the BC Ski Team after the BC Development Squad camp was unfortunately cancelled due to severe flooding and washed-out bridges. While the storms changed the plans, they also created an unforgettable adventure. With hiking routes inaccessible, the team flew into the glacier by helicopter, a first for Cameron and an experience he won’t soon forget!

The helicopter access meant the team gained extra skiing time, spending seven full days on snow. Each morning began with a 45-minute hike from base camp to the glacier before training on some of the best summer skiing conditions anywhere in North America. Afternoons were filled with recovery activities, games, and additional training sessions, making for a fantastic balance of hard work and team camaraderie.

Here’s what Cameron had to say about the experience:

“Haig Camp this year was once again a super cool experience. The weather was amazing, the skiing conditions were beautiful, and a brand new groomer had just been brought up which helped a lot. Overall the camp was super and I hope some other SNSC skiers get the chance to do this trip.”

We’re proud to see Cameron continuing to take advantage of opportunities to train alongside some of BC’s top athletes. Experiences like Haig Glacier Camp are an important part of athlete development, and it’s exciting to see an SNSC skier representing our club on the provincial stage.

Congratulations, Cameron! We can’t wait to see how this experience helps build toward another fantastic season. 💙💛

🚵‍♂️🇨🇦 SNSC AT MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONALS! 🇨🇦🚵‍♂️

A huge shoutout to SNSC athletes Eli Pechter and Cameron Meldrum, who took on some of the best young mountain bikers in the country at the Canadian Mountain Bike Championships! 💪🔥

Racing in the U17 field, Eli knew exactly what he was up against: “It was really hard! My goal was to stay on my bike and on the lead lap, and I managed both.” After a great call-up and strong start, he battled hard all race to hold that lead lap against a seriously fast field. Mission accomplished! 👊

Cameron lined up in U19 against an exceptionally strong field that included Ethan Wood, the #1-ranked U19 mountain biker in the world. With Wood setting a blistering pace at the front, the cutoff came quickly and Cameron battled hard to stay in the race, missing the cutoff by just two seconds. An incredibly tough day of racing against some of the very best in the sport! 🚵‍♂️💨

We love seeing our SNSC athletes putting their fitness, grit and competitive spirit to work all year long. Whether it’s on skis, bikes, trails or wherever the next adventure takes them, it’s all part of building strong, resilient athletes and having a whole lot of fun along the way!

Way to represent, Eli and Cameron! 🙌👏

💙 Celebrating Bertrand & Laurianne! 👶
One of the best parts of being part of the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club is that we’re more than teammates, we’re family.
Recently, our athletes, coaches, and families came together to celebrate Head Coach Bertrand Hamoumraoui and his partner, Laurianne Peu, as they prepare to welcome their first child!

Shared food and gifts, fun games and plenty of laughs, and an unforgettable tubing adventure down the Tsolum River, it was a day filled with friendship, connection, and celebration.
It’s moments like these that remind us our club is about so much more than skiing. We train together, volunteer together, celebrate together, and support one another through life’s biggest milestones.

Congratulations, Bertrand and Laurianne! We are so excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to welcome the newest member of the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club family. ❤️

👏 Congratulations to the 2026 Nordiq Canada Award Recipients! 🇨🇦🎉

At Strathcona Nordic Ski Club, we know that our sport is built on passionate volunteers, dedicated coaches, inspiring leaders, and communities that work together to make Nordic skiing stronger from coast to coast.

While we don’t have any SNSC recipients this year, we’re incredibly proud to celebrate our fellow clubs across British Columbia and Canada. It’s especially exciting to see that four of the six national award recipients come from Cross Country BC member clubs!

🏆 Dave Rees Award – Jake Weaver (Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club)
🏆 Firth Award – Morna Fraser (Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club)
🏆 Distinguished Volunteer Award – Frank Ackermann (Kimberley Nordic Club)
🏆 Distinguished Volunteer Award – Marcus Boyle (Sovereign Lake Nordic Club)

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to grow and strengthen Nordic skiing. Your leadership, commitment, and countless volunteer hours help create opportunities for athletes of all ages and abilities across the country.

Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients! 👏 We are proud to be part of such an incredible Nordic community!