The Chandra Crawford Hut located in the meadow in the middle of the Canmore Nordic Centre is a shining example of volunteer spirit and community support.
Around the time that the Canmore Nordic Centre (CNC) saw the return of World Cup biathlon and cross country races fifteen years ago, a handful of Canmore residents came up with the idea to build a hut in the middle of the CNC for recreational skiers to warm up, meet friends or enjoy a snack. The volunteer Meadow Hut committee was formed in 2012 and they started to work with the CNC Provincial Park to get permission to build a hut. After lengthy negotiations with the Alberta Government representatives, a hut design and location were approved in February 2015 for winter use only. The committee then reached out to Friends of Kananaskis Country to serve as the administrative arm of the Hut committee and to use our CRA tax donation status to start raising funds for the hut.
The key ingredient to building the hut was the tremendous community support that came together in 2015, donating construction time and skills, equipment and materials. Working with FKC, the volunteers also raised over $106,000. Chandra Crawford, Canmore’s own Olympic gold medal winner, allowed her name to be used for the hut to help with raising funds. The real value of the hut is roughly $160,000.
The Chandra Crawford Hut opened in the winter of 2015/16. It is formally operated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Friends of Kananaskis Country, the CNC Provincial Park and the volunteer Hut Committee. The Hut Committee continues to raise money through donations to Friends of Kananaskis to pay for annual cleaning, propane for heat, signage and general maintenance and repairs.
The Hut is approximately 2.5 km west of the CNC day lodge, open daily from November until April from 9 AM until 9 PM for the free use of the general public. We ask that you consider donating funds to support the Hut’s operational costs. Thank you for keeping the volunteer spirit alive and well.
For more information about the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, click HERE.