WESTLOCK COUNTY –Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill had a good 2023–24 season with 13,360 visitors compared with 11,244 the year prior.
The ski hill in Westlock County offers skiing, snowboarding, tubing and snowshoeing.
“Our 2023–24 season was very successful, with the highlight being the opening of our newest feature, the Red Carpet Conveyor lift,” Tawatinaw Valley Ski Club President Wendy Batog said in her presentation to Westlock County on Nov. 12.
The majority of visitors were from Westlock County with 2,740 visits, followed by the County and Town of Athabasca with 2,215. There were 1,968 visits from Sturgeon County residents, 1,190 visits from Westlock residents and a 111 per cent increase in visitors from Edmonton, with 956.
The club's key priorities in its 2025-28 strategic plan focuses on human resources, infrastructures, programs, education, equipment, stewardship, partnerships and relationships, said Batog.
Last year the club had 50 active volunteers.
“If we had to pay that out in wages it would have been $425,000,” said Batog.
The club, which is non-profit, focused on events last year, such as Pub Night featuring perogy night, taco night, and trivia night.
“They were all very successful,” said Batog.
For the 2024–25 season, Pub Night will be held every two weeks on Saturday. The next one is scheduled for Nov. 30.
The club had a busy Family Day with 576 visitors enjoying tubing, skiing and snowboarding.
Over the 2023–24 season, there was a 29 percent increase in student visits from 37 schools, with 3,473 student visits.
Their newest program is the Snow Squad Ski Camp, which is designed to help kids who want to get into skiing, said Batog. It runs for two hours a day for three Saturdays.
“We are planning on running it over Christmas.”
The club is developing a Tawatinaw Valley Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) program that gives people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in snow sports. The addition of the Red Carpet Conveyor Lift at the ski hill makes it easier for the participants of the CADS program.
The lift increases accessibility for those with disabilities and gives tubing customers a ride up the hill.
Tawatinaw Valley hosted the Freestyle Frenzy Club competition in February with about 100 skiers coming from Edmonton, Red Deer, Jasper and Saskatchewan.
Nordiq Alberta hosted the Tawatinaw On-Snow Provincial Open Camp at the facility in January. Volunteers from Westlock Nordic Club support the trail maintenance at Tawatinaw Valley.
Coun. Isaac Skuban pointed out that Tawatinaw Valley Ski Club prices are likely half of Rabbit Hill’s prices.
“Affordability is a big thing,” he said. “It’s great that it is affordable for families to go to.”
Westlock County Committee of the Whole accepted the Tawatinaw Valley Ski Club Year-end Report Presentation as information.
