Landmark Building
BEAR CREEK SKI JUMP SITE
BEAR CREEK VALLEY, Grande Prairie
Built in 1920
'); "Bear Creek Ski Jump Site")
Local newspapers reflect an enthusiasm for ice carnivals before the First World War, and an avid interest in the annual Banff winter carnival even during wartime. Grande Prairie residents shared in the enthusiasm for Nordic sports that swept Canada following the war. On February 15, 1920, a new ski club opened in Grande Prairie:
The Eccentric club offers clean healthy recreation. Will supply the members who can loop the loop on skis on Innes Hill. .. with a free trip to Ponoka. A. Medlock, Pres., E. Crerar, Sec., G.E. Casson consulting surgeon.
An annual winter tournament had been held by the "Northern Ski Club" since 1918. After 1924 this tournament was moved from its original venue near Bear Lake to the large wooden ski jump located on the west side of Bear Creek across from 90th Avenue. Although the jump is now gone, this site can be seen from Carriage Lane, marked by a scar through the wooded slopes. The landing site was prepared by laying down a corduroy bed of springy trees and shrubs and then covering these with snow to lessen the impact for the jumpers. The ski jump was a centre of winter sporting and social activity throughout the 1920s and 1930s, probably aided by the influence of early Scandinavian settlements such as nearby Valhalla.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from Historical Walking and Driving Tour: Grande Prairie. Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism and the City of Grande Prairie, n.d., with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.