Northwestern Ontario athletes play big role in a landmark cross-country skiing season
CBC
It's been a landmark season for elite cross-country skiers right across Canada, and athletes from northwestern Ontario are playing a big role in the success.
This season has featured strong showings at the Winter Youth Olympics Games, and podium appearances at races on the international cross-country skiing circuit.
An athlete advocate in Thunder Bay, Ont., believes the accomplishments in the cross-country skiing world this season are not just derived from competitions and individual athletes, but rather a recent culture shift in the sport itself.
"There is a big push both from the athlete body but also from the governing side of things … that this is a team," explained Julian Smith who is an Athletes CAN representative, and competitive skier with the National Team Development Centre in Thunder Bay.
"We have this expansive group of diverse and committed individuals … that as a team, as a nation we have a real ability to come together and perform on the world stage," Smith continued.
Thunder Bay is home to one of few national training centres in the country, with two others centres located in Quebec and Alberta.
The national ski team in Canada is decentralized, which means skiers can live and train where they wish. Smith said at times this format can be a detriment, especially when it comes to the costs associated with training, traveling, and racing.
The recent push to bring athletes together, regardless of where they train, is already paying off as many cross-country skiers are capturing major accomplishments on a number of world stages.
Earlier this year, Thunder Bay athlete Cedric Martel traveled to Gangwon, South Korea to compete in the Winter Youth Olympics Games. He was also joined by Eric Bailey, a cross-country skiing coach in Thunder Bay.
Martel competed in a number of events, including a mixed relay competition with Canada claiming their best ever result coming in fifth place.
After the Winter Youth Olympics, the accomplishments of local and national skiers snowballed, particularly in World Junior and World Under 23 competitions.
Canada had a strong showing at the World Under 23 competition in Slovenia, with 21-year-old Sonjaa Schmidt becoming the first Canadian woman to win gold at an U23 Nordic World Ski Championship event.
"A lot of athletes on the team … they wake up every day believing in themselves and that is sometimes the transient difference between winning and not winning and so that was historic. It was amazing," Smith said, reflecting on Schmidt's win.
The historic gold medal win in Slovenia was followed by another formative accomplishment for Team Canada, with the mixed relay team claiming first place, which is a difficult accomplishment, Smith said.
Trevor Allen didn’t worry about who had the most extravagant decorations or brightest bulbs.
Alberta's transportation minister could hear the horns blaring from inside his office.
A single northbound lane on the long-awaited Pattullo Bridge replacement has opened to traffic, marking the first step in a phased opening process.
The Yukon has been grappling with an extreme cold weather system that's pushing the power grid to the brink because it can't keep up with demand.
The days leading up to Christmas day can be the most stressful time of the holidays. Especially if those days are spent travelling to the post office hoping to pick up that special, last minute gift you ordered online, just in time to put it under the tree.
The Yukon's energy provider says Whitehorse is not at imminent risk of blackouts, but with very cold weather forecasted through the holidays, residents are still being asked to conserve power.
A pedestrian is dead after a vehicle crashed into a building in Toronto, said police.
RCMP in Inuvik, N.W.T., say two youth have been arrested after officers found suspected cocaine and a loaded firearm at a home in the community.
Canada and 13 other countries issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Alberta health officials are flagging the circulation of a rare bacteria known as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) among homeless adults living in Calgary.
The future of a prominent building in London's Old East Village (OEV), once home to the London Food Incubator, is looking uncertain following the relocation of its anchor tenant and the planned departure of another.
As Yukon continues to deal with a prolonged spell of extreme cold, emergency officials are advising people to be prepared in case of a power outage.
Police say they have found and arrested 47-year-old Douglas Yetman, a man wanted for murder.