Dispute with Calabogie Peaks Resort owner forces ski club to find new training hill

A ski racing club that’s been training at Calabogie Peaks Resort for decades is without a home hill this season, leaving families out thousands of dollars and scrambling to find a new place to train.

The Calabogie Ski Racing Club says a dispute with the owner of Calabogie Peaks over training hours and liability forced the club to relocate to other hills, including Centre Vorlage.

The team says the change came at the start of the season when the club’s training hours were cut.

“We’ve been negotiating since the middle of December to make sure that we can get proper training for our kids to make sure they’re prepared for races, make sure they’re prepared for the season and unfortunately we were limited early on in the season and then we were cut completely off the training in mid-January,” said Brian McKittrick, president of the Calabogie Ski Racing Club.

Athletes say the situation has taken a toll on their ability to train and compete, especially for the new skiers who joined this year.

“Not being able to train, that’s impacted their performance. Not only their skiing performance, but their knowledge for race days such as in the start gate, what to do, the beep system, stuff like that,” said competitive ski racer Clare Nelson.

“But as well, the older athletes such as myself, getting in the training and getting in the reps. That’s what’s important for game day performance.”

Things came to a head in mid-January when the team received a letter from Calabogie Peaks owner, Paul Murphy.

Murphy took issue with skiers acting as gates, known as ‘human slalom training’, which the team says was done as a fun way to stay motivated after the physical gates were removed on a day Murphy says they weren’t allowed to train.

“This was a direct, deliberate violation of Calabogie Peaks’ (CP) rules, which grant your club special privileges for training at our resort,” said Murphy in the letter.

The letter went on to suspend training effective immediately, pending each member of the team including coaches, athletes and parents sign a liability waiver.

But sources tell CTV News the training is authorized by Alpine Canada, the sport’s national governing body, which also insures the team.

“As a club, every racer, every official, every coach has insurance through Alpine Canada. We’re covered for all training, skiing, races—so, there should not and there is not any concern with any of the training that we do with the hill or racing at the hill for that matter,” said McKittrick.

“We could not, as a board, recommend that every parent, coach, volunteer sign those waivers and put themselves personally at risk.”

Murphy declined an on-camera interview but in a statement told CTV News:

“This winter the Calabogie Racing Club were involved in activities that did not adhere to certain safety procedures, which created risks for public safety. To address this, we proposed solutions and protocols that would allow the Club to continue racing and training while ensuring compliance with these essential protocols. Unfortunately, the Club declined this proposal and instead suggested alternative procedures and protocols that did not align with the Resort’s safety and guest experience standards. While we regret that an agreement could not be reached, we remain committed to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all skiers and riders. We also appreciate the feedback from our community that we have received.”

When asked why training hours were cut, Murphy replied in an email:

“Ski destinations, including Calabogie Peaks, restrict races and training to limited periods because it reduces or closes ski trails, which interferes with the public’s enjoyment of the mountain.”

He also told CTV News his insurers do not allow human slalom training.

But the situation has left the team not only scrambling for a new place to train, but parents out thousands of dollars from money already spent on season passes and accommodations.

“As a family we already had purchased season passes there and we’d go typically once a week,” said parent Ryan Gutoske. “A lot of parents do stay at cottages. They rent cottages and places for the winter so there’s a financial commitment over the season for about five months a year they rent the cottages.”

Alpine Ontario says it’s also been in contact with Murphy to help reach a resolution, saying in a statement:

“Outdoor winter programs, such as alpine ski racing, play an important role for youth development, helping to build resiliency, confidence, social connection, and overall physical and mental well-being. Alpine Ontario Alpin is committed to working closely with ski resorts, race clubs, and families to create safe, inclusive environments where alpine skiing can continue to grow and thrive across the province.”

The team says Centre Vorlage has stepped up, along with others, allowing them to train elsewhere, but with the club’s future up in the air, the team is holding out hope that a resolution can still be reached.

“Right now, we’re in a holding pattern waiting for Calabogie Peaks to come back and speak to us and figure out, even if it’s not this year, what can we do next year,” said McKittrick.