For over a decade the non-profit has been working to make cross-country skiing and snowshoeing accessible to Pontiac residents by grooming trails and hosting lessons on various pieces of land in Bristol.

During its AGM Sunday, president Ariane Cloutier summarized the year’s activities from Nov. 2024 to Nov. 2025. In the winter of 2025, the group was based out of the Astra Estates golf course, its third season there, where it hosted a moonlit ski event and ran a Salt and Pepper ski club.

In Nov. 2025, the group was notified it would not be able to operate at Astra Estates in 2026 as the owners had closed the golf course and planned to sell the business.

The group then pivoted to looking for a new home and received an offer from Bristol Auto owner Riley MacGregor to host trails on his propreties, which Ski Pontiac went ahead with, also securing agreements with two neighbouring land owners to let the group groom trails on their land as well.

Cloutier noted special thanks to the community organizations who supported the organization with financial or in kind donations last year, including the MRC, the Municipality of Bristol, Bristol Auto, Jane Toller, Blue Heron, Custom Tree Service, the Rotary Club of Shawville.

“And then of course we have the community who supports us by giving us donations,” she closed.

Financially, the non-profit lost money in 2024-2025, finishing with a net loss of $3,524. This was in large part because it did not receive a grant from Bristol. It also paid $1,900 in rent and maintenance fees to Astra Estates.

“Overall you spent $3,500 more than you took in, but you have money in the bank, so you’re fine,” said Nancy York, who prepared the financial statement, reminding the board it finished the year with $4,700 in the bank.

Board members for the 2025-2026 year remain Cloutier, Rob Bell, Ken Bernard, Val Thompson and Patty Loveridge, with the latter three all reelected into their seats on Sunday.

Looking ahead to next season, Cloutier said discussions are underway to bring a small hut to Ski Pontiac’s new trailhead on chemin Front in Bristol Village.

The team of volunteers is still hard at work clearing trails at the new location, now offering around six kilometres of ski trails and several kilometres of snowshoe trails.

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