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2022-12-11 at 12:22 - comment by DEMOCRATIZE AB

I hope the racers are enjoying the $44,000,000 the Canmore Nordic Centre has received in subsidizes from the Alberta tax payers to upgrade facilities since 2008. $26,500,000 was pumped into the Canmore Nordic Centre in 2008 by the Alberta Conservatives for upgrades and another $17,500,000 was pumped in to the Centre in March of 2022 to fund upgrades to the upgrades from 2008. This does not include the many millions to develop the Canmore Nordic Centre when it was first built.

References: 2008 $26,500,000 Funding see:

https://albertaparks.ca/media/2161747/cncpp-strategic-plan-2010-2015.pdf

See background page information in the above document

2022 $17,500,000 Funding see:

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/we-re-grateful-canmore-gets-17-5m-for-nordic-centre-upgrades-1.5816078

We the people of Alberta have been undemocratically forced by the UCP to pay a $90/year Kananaskis fee and a $20/ night random camping fee in the Eastern Slopes so the Canmore Nordic Centre can receive subsidies for the unfeasible business facility.

Unfortunately for many less wealthy Albertans now, they can no longer afford to walk in Kananaskis Country as a result of the UCP Kananaskis Pass cost which subsidizes the Canmore Nordic Centre which its management is unable to make operate in a self supportive conservative manner. Perhaps it is time for better management of the Nordic Centre so it can run without subsidies, like every other skiing resort facility in Alberta.

The town of Canmore is the primary economic beneficiary of the subsidies to the Canmore Nordic Centre. Certainly towns like Red Deer or the Crowsnest Pass are not. Perhaps the town of Canmore should be the only government subsidizing the Canmore Nordic Centre. I would love to see a Provincial wide poll and debate on this issue along with the UCP Kananaskis Pass.

When millions must be spent on subsidizing artificial snow for XC skiing at the Canmore Nordic Centre in a Province where there is ample free snow in the snow belts, it makes real conservatives wonder if the Conservative Alberta government should not be involved in the business of skiing. Making snow is a very expensive process and those skiing on it should pay their full cost to ski on it without having all Albertans subsidizing it.

There are those in the Nordic Centre that suggest there is a $5 million dollar per year return on investment, but that evidence is not verified well and there are many better returns on investments to be made with the money, such as investing in more doctors so health care waits are reduced and people can get back to work sooner or so people, like sick kids, can live.

Real democracy should prevail on this issue and every other issue Albertans face.

Written by a graduate of Ski Resort Operations and Management- a champion for the legalization of real democracy who has skied for over 50 years.