Strathcona Nordic Ski Club

🚗❄️ 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!

Another incredible Hornby Bike Camp is in the books! 🚴☀️🏕️
What a weekend! From ferry rides and scenic island adventures to group rides, beach games, swimming, campfires, ice cream, potluck dinners, and plenty of laughs, our annual Hornby Bike Camp once again reminded us why it’s one of the highlights of the SNSC calendar. Families spent the weekend exploring together, athletes challenged themselves on the bike, and new friendships were formed along the way.

One of the things that makes Strathcona Nordic Ski Club so special is that our community doesn’t disappear when the snow melts. While skiing is at the heart of what we do, our athletes continue to train, learn, and grow together all year long through dryland training, mountain biking, running, hiking, camps like this, and countless outdoor adventures.
These experiences build so much more than fitness. They develop confidence, teamwork, resilience, independence, and lifelong friendships that carry into every ski season.
A huge thank you to our coaches, parent volunteers, and families who make weekends like this possible. Your time, enthusiasm, and willingness to pitch in create memories our athletes will carry for years to come.

Here’s to another amazing Hornby Bike Camp and to many more adventures together throughout the year!

💚💛

🇨🇦 What an incredible Canada Day! ❤️🤍
Strathcona Nordic Ski Club had a fantastic day at the Courtenay Canada Day Celebrations alongside our friends at Vancouver Island Biathlon Club. From the opening festivities through the afternoon, we had the opportunity to connect with hundreds of community members, answer questions, share our passion for Nordic sports, and introduce new families to everything our clubs have to offer.

The day got off to the perfect start with a great showing from our SNSC athletes in the 5th Street Mile, helping kick off the Canada Day celebrations in style. It was fantastic to see our athletes proudly representing the club and enjoying such a fun community event.

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, chatted with our volunteers, and showed an interest in cross-country skiing and biathlon. Whether you were learning about our programs for the first time or reconnecting with the club, it was wonderful to meet so many enthusiastic people.

A special thank you goes to all of our amazing volunteers from both SNSC and VIBC who donated their time and energy to make the day such a success. We couldn’t do it without you!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Canada Day, and we look forward to seeing many new and returning faces on the trails this coming season! 🍁

🎉 Celebrate Canada Day with Strathcona Nordic Ski Club & Vancouver Island Biathlon Club! 🇨🇦🎯

Join Strathcona Nordic Ski Club (SNSC) and Vancouver Island Biathlon Club (VIBC) at the Courtenay Canada Day Celebrations on Wednesday, July 1 in Lewis Park!

Stop by our shared booth between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and discover two incredible year-round sports that offer fun, fitness, friendship, and adventure for all ages and abilities.

Come by to:
❄️ Learn about cross-country skiing and biathlon
🤩 Check out equipment and chat with athletes, coaches, and volunteers from both clubs
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Explore programs for children, youth, adults, families, and masters participants
📅 Find out how to get involved for the 2026–27 season
🎉 Take part in fun, hands-on activities and games for all ages

Whether you’re looking for a new family activity, hoping to stay active year-round, or simply curious about Nordic skiing or biathlon, we’d love to meet you. Come say hello, ask questions, and learn how SNSC and VIBC help people of all ages discover a lifelong love of outdoor sport.
We can’t wait to celebrate Canada Day with you! See you at Lewis Park! 🍁