As of last weekend, families and community members in the Pontiac can rent skis and enjoy being outdoors in two locations during this winter season, they will be set up at Pine Lodge and Mont-Chilly.

Ski Pontiac and Cooperative Adventure Helianthe teamed up with Ski at School, who will provide ski equipment, free of charge every Saturday morning starting Jan. 15 until March.

Community members can . . .

do so by heading over to their website and signing up using an online form as there is room for 25 people in each of three to two-hour time slots.

Benoit Hudon, Lead Program Administrator at Ski at school, highlighted that these collaborations were made possible because of funding from Loisir Sport Outaouais, MRC Pontiac and Desjardins Rivières-du-Pontiac.

Hudo explained that Ski at School not only will be able to provide free equipment but also send two ambassadors from their organization to offer lessons and help set people up who are at varying skill levels. “When you ski on a slope it’s an activity that you can enjoy from a young age and up to 99 if you want,” said Hudon.

Being indoors because of the pandemic and cold winter days can be hard on people. Hudon called it the “double confinement” as he explained why this opportunity to allow people to be outdoors in a safe environment was so important to him.

“We are offering something amidst the pandemic that is, we think, useful for people not to be confined alone,” Hudon told The Equity.

Ariane Cloutier, Director of Communications, shared that sentiment and highlighted that this initiative is great for the community because a lot of times people do not have access to equipment here in the Pontiac, she said, “We’re not in an area with a store that sells skies and so they would have had to travel far and wide.” This activity allows people to try out skiing without buying the equipment, and people can sign up every weekend Cloutier added.

Especially during the pandemic, Cloutier said, “it’s important for people to get outside and do some physical exercise. This provides them with the opportunity to bring the family on an outing, try out skiing, and see if they enjoy it.”

Cloutier also pointed out that their Moonlight Ski dates held by Ski Pontiac at Pine Lodge are Jan. 29, Feb. 19 and 26. They will also be hosting a Wednesday morning ski meet-up starting Jan. 19, at 10:30 a.m. which is open to anyone who wishes to join a group to ski. Snowshoes can be borrowed during the day, free of charge. Pine Lodge will also be open every weekend starting in January, for food, beverages and bathrooms. For more information about events offered by Ski Pontiac visit www.skipontiac.ca.

Since Ski at School launched their program in the Pontiac in 2016-2017, they have been able to serve the community, but with the funding they received this year, the organization was able to do more and offer their equipment every Saturday for almost a month rather than only a few times during the season. Although Ski Pontiac hopes they can offer this up again next year, Cloutier pointed out that it is contingent on funding.

For anyone hoping to participate in these activities, you must register in advance as there are limited spots in order to receive appropriate equipment. Head over to Ski at School’s website for sign-ups: https://skialecole.org/community/.

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