Back to SearchLast week, Mayor and Council presented the Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club with a financial contribution from the Municipal Accommodation Tax for a project to enhance the use of the cross-country ski trails at Mount Evergreen.
Through the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), the City is contributing $100,000 to support installing lights on six kilometers of cross-country ski trails at the Mount Evergreen venue. The Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club have already started the improvement project to be ready for winter 2023/2024 with additional contributions from Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) and FedNor.
“On behalf of Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club, thank you to the City of Kenora for its generous donation. This money helps to support our “Light Up the Trails” campaign. The light project is something that we’ve dreamed about for decades. For us it’s a game changer. It allows us to host our youth development programs in the evenings, in the darkness in December and January. It also provides our regular skiers with the opportunity to ski during the week, not only weekends. We have already seen the benefit from lights with greater uptake in cross-country skiing in Kenora. We are also seeing inquiries and participation by visitors to the community during the winter,” stated Tom Mosindy, President of Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club. “This will be a tremendous asset to the City going into the future and generations of skiers will be able to enjoy this project. We are grateful to the City for the support, to other levels of government that have provided grants, local businesses that have donated to this project, service clubs and members of our club that have graciously donated to this project.”
“The City welcomed the opportunity to support the Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club’s project. This funding allotment aligns with how we want the Municipal Accommodation Tax to be used, positively impacting tourism and economic development and benefiting our entire community. Everyone can enjoy cross-country skiing with the new trail lights into the evening hours. The expanded service adds to the skiing options at Mount Evergreen and the four-season experience in Kenora,” stated Mayor Andrew Poirier
The MAT is a 4% accommodation tax applied to overnight stays that is used to support tourism and economic development projects in the City of Kenora. In 2022, the MAT supported 18 projects with $450,000. Plans for other projects that will benefit from MAT in 2023 will be announced in the future.
About Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club
The Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club, operated by a volunteer board of directors, maintains over 20 kilometers of cross-country ski trails at Mount Evergreen. All trails are groomed for classic skiing and almost seven kilometers of trails also accommodate skate skiing. The trails are suited for all skill levels, from beginner to expert and some night skiing is available. The trail system is open to the public seasonally. They also provide ski lessons for children, adults, and paranordic training. The Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club host provincial championships and other cross-country skiing competitions at Mount Evergreen.
Media contacts
Tom Mosindy, President, Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club
mosindytom@gmail.com
Josh Nelson, Tourism Development Officer, City of Kenora
807-467-2986
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