Council approves ski hill and escarpment land purchase
The city is buying Laurentian Ski Hill and Janey Avenue property on the escarpment owned by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA).
Council approved the $1.4 million purchase on Tuesday night.
It includes about 50 hectares of land, including the ski hill and the Interpretive Centre building, with the Conservation Authority remaining on-site as a tenant.
Officials say they’ll be keeping all programs, services, and staffing in place with no changes for the public or member municipalities.
“This agreement provides certainty and long-term stability for the future use of the lands and represents an important investment by the City of North Bay in protecting a regional asset,” says Mayor Peter Chirico. “These lands will remain publicly accessible, providing ongoing opportunities for recreation and tourism for area residents and visitors.”
Councillor Mac Bain says it’s a good news story.
“I’ve been on councils where we’ve tried to sell open space and parks,” he says. “I think it’s an accomplishment that this council is actually protecting this land by investing in purchasing the properties of the ski hill that’s owned by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.”
Bain also says the city would already be on the hook for repair costs with equipment on the ski hill, regardless of this sale.
“If the ski hill needed to be replaced or needed to be fix, the Conservation Authority would go out and fix it so they can operate and send a bill to the City of North Bay because we’re one of the partners in the Conservation Authority,” he says.
Bain also says they’ve been working on this for a number of years, adding NBMCA has been told it needs to divest itself of the hill.
The city says Laurentian Ski Hill and Snowboard Club will continue operations under a new operating and lease agreement to be negotiated with the City; and the trail network will remain part of the Laurentian Escarpment Community Trails Conservation Area with no changes to availability or public access.
Officials say the purchase agreement was backed by the NBMCA Board last week.
Still at city hall, Councillors Mac Bain and Gary Gardiner have been elected as city representatives on the Cassellholme Board.
The vote was held at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Four councillors put their names forward.
Bids by councillor Jamie Lowery and councillor Chris Mayne, who was previously removed by the board, were unsuccessful.
Richard Coffinhttps://www.mynorthbaynow.com/Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years. From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.
