Snowboard-cross event pulled from Ontario Winter Games following fire at Calabogie Peaks
Just one week before the Ontario Winter Games begin in Renfrew County, a main attraction at Calabogie Peaks has been cancelled.
The Provincial Sport Organization for Snowboard has pulled the snowboard-cross event from the games due to a lack of snow at the ski hill in Calabogie, Ont.
A fire at the beginning of January destroyed the pump house at Calabogie Peaks, halting snowmaking operations.
"And they're still to my knowledge not operational, probably, until this weekend or next," Games Manager Cindy Burwell said.
"Which wouldn't leave enough time to make enough snow and then build a course and groom it for the snowboard competition."
Burwell says the ski-cross event set to take place at Calabogie Peaks has also been called off.
The decision now leaves roughly 100 to 120 athletes at home and unable to compete.
For 17-year-old snowboarder Oscar Dick from Ancaster, Ont., it is an opportunity he's been training years for.
"During COVID, I really started to lock down and train harder to achieve this," Dick tells CTV News.
"I'm obviously definitely bummed about it. I really wanted to compete and see how I stacked up against the other racers in Ontario."
Snowboard cross is a downhill race that takes place on a terrain course. The event was set to be held Feb. 6-8.
"In addition to [the fire] there was a huge thaw after Christmas so anything that was built before Christmas was lost," Burwell said.
"Ontario Winter Games has always been a goal of mine," said Dick, who was set to compete at the games for the first time.
"Due to my age and COVID, I haven't been able to go to the Ontario Winter Games."
The biathlon will still take place at the Calabogie Highlands across from the Calabogie Peaks ski hill.
Twenty-two events are still set to take place across Renfrew County beginning Feb. 2.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.