Beaver Valley Ski Club

The genesis of Beaver Valley Ski Club dates back to the 1930s as Ontario’s first ski destination, serviced by a weekend “ski train” running from the City of Toronto to the Town of Flesherton. In 1936, Beaver Valley hosted the Dominion of Canada National Ski Championship organized by the Toronto Ski Club. Seventy competitors from across Canada competed in downhill and slalom racing.^[31][32]

In 1949, Beaver Valley Ski Club was formally created with the installation of Canada’s longest rope tow. The Ontario Hydro Ski Club built a chalet at the bottom of Beaver Valley Club in 1961. The following year, the Austrian Ski Club built a chalet at the top of the resort. Beaver Valley Club became the first in Ontario to install floodlit night skiing in 1963.^[33]

The transition to its present day status as a member-funded Club started in 1967 to help further its development. In 1970, the Club expanded its terrain with the addition of the south facing Avalanche Bowl creating Ontario's steepest, sustained pitch. The Mogulmania event started in 1978 to showcase the bowl’s expert terrain and support the growing popularity of freestyle skiing. The event continues to be Canada’s longest running mogul contest. In 1984, the Club further expanded its terrain with the addition of the South Bowl providing six more runs, including “Free-fall”, Ontario’s only FIS-recognized World Cup moguls course.^[34]

During the 1990s, interest in snowboarding grew and the sport was introduced to the Club. In 1993 Beaver Valley snowboarders Paul Chapman and Vince Jorgenson finished first and second, respectively, at the Canadian National Snowboard Championship. Paul Chapman won the overall title at the 1994 Junior World Snowboard Championship.^[35]

In 1994 Beaver Valley Ski Club installed Ontario’s first FIS-homologated Freestyle Ski Aerials training site. In 2002 Beaver Valley skier Veronica Brenner won the silver medal in the Women’s Freestyle Ski Aerials event at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.^[36]

In 2005 Beaver Valley Ski Club created Ontario’s longest, dedicated snow park run to support the growing popularity of slope style, big air, rail, and park snowboarding and skiing. Beaver Valley Snow Parks were featured in a 2012 national edition of SBC Skier Magazine and a 2018 edition of Snowboard Canada Magazine. The parks were featured in the snowboard film May Flowers presented by Vans.^[37]

The Club published a hard cover book commemorating and chronicling the first 50 years of its history in 2018.^[38]

Many prominent snow sport athletes got their start at Beaver Valley. In 2022 snowboarders Michael Nazwaski and Jamie Behan were selected to the Canadian National Alpine Snowboard Next Gen Team.^[39] Jasmine Baird, who grew up snowboarding at the Club, was selected to the Canadian National Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Team.^[40][41] She finished 7th in Big Air and 15th in Slopestyle at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics,^[42] and later that year won the gold medal at the World Cup Big Air in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.^[43] Skier Berkley Brown was selected to the Canadian National Moguls Next Gen Team. Other Beaver Valley athletes include Jesse Jarrett and Chris Fellner. Jesse was featured in the snowboard films Through My Fingers (2022), ^{[44][45][46][47]} Tuesday's Child (2023) ^[48] and Wishing Well (2024).^[49] He was also featured on the cover of King Snow Magazine ^[50] along with an athlete interview.^[51] Chris Fellner was featured in the snowboard film Screaming About Nothing (2022).^[52][53][54]

• Official website