January 15, 2021

 

Dear KNC Members,

 

It has been a great winter thus far! We appreciate having you as part of our nordic community, and your support with our COVID protocols has been fantastic. We are doing our best to provide you with excellent skiing, programs for all ages, and much needed opportunities for solitude out on the trails. Outdoor activities everywhere are experiencing incredible growth, and nordic skiing in Kimberley is no exception. We need your help to ensure the rest of the winter is successful. 

 

The first two weeks of 2021 have been interesting, and we have had some challenges with parking during peak times. Mid-day on weekends and some evenings the lot is full. Compounding this, the breakdown of RCR’s Northstar Quad chairlift has created unprecedented pressure on parking in the KNC lot and all along Northstar Drive. With the high demand for parking, we have had several challenging situations with skiers in our parking lot over the last two weekends. Our staff are doing their best to make your skiing experience positive. They deserve your patience and respect. Your membership at KNC does not guarantee you a parking place.

 

As we move into this weekend, two additional factors will add significant pressure to our parking situation. 

1. With each snowfall the snowbanks grow and our parking lot shrinks. City of Kimberley grader and loader work is required to remove these snowbanks so we can use our entire parking lot. 

2. On Tuesday morning we closed our lot for City plowing operations, but had vehicles drive past the pylons and ropes blocking the entrance. The actions of a few skiers negatively affected the ability of City crews to properly plow the lot. As a result, our parking capacity is reduced compared to last weekend.

We are doing our best to maximize our parking:

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• We have expanded our lot in recent years.

• We have hired extra kiosk staff this season to work in the parking lot to maximize spaces and maintain traffic flow.

• We have installed a webcam for the parking lot, so that you can see how busy it is before you drive up. Parking Lot Webcam

• We have reached out to the City to add a stop on Northstar Drive for the Peak to Platzl ski shuttle to better support nordic skiers. Until a formal change, just ask for a drop off and pickup at the entrance to the KNC lot. Route Map and Schedule 

• We are working with the City of Kimberley to explore options for additional parking. This won’t help the situation this season, but is an important step in finding solutions for the future. 

 

We need each and every one of our members to help us with the following:

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• DO NOT park in the Kirkwood Inn lot. This is private property. In the last two weeks, there have been complaints, conflict, and threats to take more action to deal with our members who park on their property.

• DO NOT park along Northstar Drive. There have been KNC skiers who are blocking driveways or restricting traffic flow that could compromise fire truck access. City Bylaw officers will be ticketing vehicles and you could be towed. Members who park in these areas are compromising our relationship with our neighbours.

• Slow down as you approach our parking lot. The snowbanks are high and it is difficult to see as you turn into the KNC lot.

• Please comply with all directions provided by our staff in the KNC parking lot.

• Park close to neighbouring vehicles and tight to the bank.

• Trucks need to park on the outside.

• Check behind your vehicle to ensure you are not restricting traffic flow.

• If you are dropping someone off or picking someone up, your flashers must remain on while you are using the designated spots near the kiosk. 

• If the parking lot is full, arrange a drop off, or come back at another time. If you are up for something new, try the bus!

 

If you have additional questions or comments about our operations this season, please let us know by emailing: info@kimberleynordic.org.

Respectfully, KNC Staff and Executive.