As the temperature begins to drop, the minds of many in the Northwest turn to the slopes, and My Mountain Co-op is preparing to welcome skiers and snowboarders back with open arms.
Snow is beginning to accumulate on mountains along the Skeena River already and management is aiming for an early December opening day.
Regardless of when the mountain opens, My Mountain Co-op had a busy summer on the slopes. The deck at the lodge has been replaced and the lodge was given a facelift with the help of members, who volunteered approximately 600 hours of labour to the projects.
"MMC members provided a huge boost to what the co-op was able to accomplish this summer," said Shames general manager Christian Theberge.
But the board doesn't plan to stop there. They made a presentation regarding the creation of a Master Plan for further development of the Shames Mountain ski area and town hall-style meetings are planned for the coming months in order to engage members on what they want to see in the future of Shames.
My Mountain Co-op will also be starting the year in a positive position both financially and in terms of membership. The last fiscal year ended with a net profit of $55,000, and there are currently more than 1,000 members, with strong support from individuals and corporations continuing.
"The strength of the co-operative lies in its members," said board member Meredith Skimson.