About the Bytown Ski Club

With over 3000 active members in Ottawa, the Bytown Ski Club is one of the largest private ski clubs in Canada.

The Ski Club is a non-profit organization run by volunteers who love skiing/boarding. We welcome snow sliders of all abilities and type: from beginner to expert, downhill, boarding, cross country or telemark. Through volume sales, we provide significant savings on skiing and related activities for our members! Some of the benefits we provide include: discounts at stores and ski areas, great prices on lessons, trips and other special events.

Participation

Anyone may join the ski club upon payment of the annual membership dues. Family members of primary members may also join the Ski Club upon payment of the the annual dues.

NOTE: All of the club documentation, application forms, and confirmation lists are available ONLY through this web site! Our primary communications methods are by email and through our club web site; both are essential to take advantage of the club’s services.

Events/Activities

The Ski Club offers many events and activities for its members. Some examples are described in Ski Club Activities.

Club Funding

The Bytown Ski Club is self-sufficient and receives no formal funding from any corporation. Funding for club activities is derived primarily from membership dues collected annually from members. Our excellent prices are achieved through volume sales and long-standing relationships with our suppliers.

Organization

The club is run by an executive committee of volunteers. While we try our best to operate the Ski Club as effectively as possible, please remember that ALL executive members have real full time jobs, which must take priority over the Ski Club. This may mean that we don’t respond immediately to member requests. If we don’t reply in a timely fashion, please gently remind us of your request.

If you are interested in volunteering as and executive member, elections for executive positions are held annually in the September time frame. Two to four weeks before the election date, an announcement of the election meeting is sent by email to all members from the previous year for whom we have valid email addresses.

Focus

The club mandate is to provide economical ski trips, lessons and equipment savings to all skiers and boarders. Our low membership cost is often recovered in as little as one event!

Other Information

Membership:

Membership to the ski club must be purchased annually, and is valid for one ski season. Memberships are not refundable for any reason. There are two types of membership: family memberships, and single memberships. A family membership consists of one prime member and any associated family members. A single membership has only the prime member.

For procedures to obtain a membership, see “Club Registration“.

Prime Members:

The prime member is the contact person for any single or family membership. As our contact point, the prime member is always responsible for conveying event status information to any family members and/or guests participating in a club event even if the prime member is not attending the event. Anyone may join the ski club upon payment of the annual membership dues.

Family Members:

Family members are members of the prime member’s immediate family who may be added to a prime member’s application upon payment of the appropriate annual dues. Family members are full club members in all respects except one: they are typically not contacted by the club and may not receive club mailings or notifications. Valid family members are generally considered to be those people who are living in the same residence as the prime member. Any spouse/significant other or child of a prime member is eligible as a family member (this includes both married and common-law relationships). Family members may attend events without the prime member, but all trip status information will be conveyed ONLY to the prime member who must pass it on to any family members attending the event.

Events – Ski Club Activities

Here are some examples of events that the ski club has offered on a regular basis to its members. However, they may not be offered in the current season — check the event listings on the club front page for upcoming events.

Pre-season special events:

  • Pre-season Tickets or Seasons Passes Some ski areas may offer us special deals on season passes or pre-sold ski tickets. These sales usually occur in September/October and all details of any offers are posted to our web site.
  • Registration Days This is our primary registration event, typically held in early November at numerous sites, where we accept payment for registration and distribute membership cards. In addition, tickets to special events, club specials, and club merchandise may be available.

Skiing events:

  • Trips Every season we offer a selection of trips to various resorts such as:
    • Day trips by bus to Mont Tremblant, usually priced lower than a regular lift pass!
    • Special day trips to resorts such as Whiteface and Sutton
    • One weekend trip to Le Massif/Mont Ste. Anne
    • One or more weeklong trips to destinations in the Canadian or US Rockies such as Whistler, Lake Louise, Fernie, Big White, Big Mountain, Beckenridge, etc. Note week-long trips have not been offered for a few years and involved small groups.
  • Alpine Lessons We offer discounted lessons programs at several local resorts. The best deal on lessons is the adult night lessons packages. These packages include group lessons of 1.5 to 2 hours, one night per week for up to 9 weeks depending on the resort at which the lessons are offered. There are similar packages offered on weekends for both adults and children. Lessons are available for ALL levels of skier and snowboarder, from beginner to expert. Package deals for ski equipment rentals are also available in conjunction with the lessons.
  • Cross-Country The cross country program varies form year to year, but past offerings have included: lessons, hot chocolate nights in Gatineau Park, trips to Montabello and weekend trips to world famous facilities such as Mont Ste. Anne’s Cross-Country Trails.
  • Discounts Each season discounts are arranged with local stores and ski hills. Most local stores offer 5-15% savings on merchandise or services for club members who identify themselves with a valid membership card. Several of the local ski areas offer discounted lift passes for members; some are more than 50% off of regular rates!

Annual General Meeting

2017

  • AGM presentation (PDF)

2016

2014