Friends of Big Thunder hope former ski jump and nordic area can be saved

The ski runs are growing in, and it's nearly impossible to make out where the chairlift still stands at the abandoned Big Thunder ski jump and Nordic training centre in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The hill, which 'Welcomed the World' for the 1995 Nordic World Championships, has sat vacant since being shuttered by the provincial government in 1996.

CBC Thunder Bay will explore this week the past, present and future of the Big Thunder Nordic facilty.

"It just needs an opportunity to branch out again, because the opportunities out there are endless that can happen out there," said Paul DeGiacomo, a co-chair with the Friends of Big Thunder.

The group was formed decades ago, and, since the facility's closure in 1996, has quietly been working towards finding an operator to open up the facility once again.

"It was known as a Nordic site. The site can open up and be self sustaining by the end of the fifth year," DeGiacomo said. The group commissioned Lakehead University to study the feasibility of opening up the site about five years ago. It concluded that if more than skiing is offered at the site, it could become financially sustainable.

"That was basically the mandate for the site before the Nordics, during the Nordics and after the Nordics, for the site to sustain itself."

Years in the making

DeGiacomo said the timing to take a good look at Big Thunder is interesting. He fielded a call from the Big Thunder Ski Club, a cross-country ski group that practices out of other locations. The president of that association wanted to know about any progress in finding an operator for the site.

DeGiacomo said MPP Bill Mauro apparently spoke with Premier Kathleen Wynne when she was last in the city, to draw attention to the facility.

Additionally, DeGiacomo said, a private operator is interested in leasing the site, and operating the facilities. Although those plans have not panned out before, this operator has shown a lot of interest.

"It's been a long journey to say the least. It's been a ten year plan to get the site established. And, we have a good opportunity for that to occur."

Infrastructure Ontario, the provincial body that maintains the site, told CBC News it would be interested in disposing of the property.

"As it has been determined that there is no continued need for the province to own this property, we are currently reviewing potential future options for the Big Thunder lands."

It's not the first time the province has looked as disposing of the site. In 2012, it received six proposals for the property, however, the province did not accept any of the proposals.

As time goes on, buildings on the site continue to decay. Three were torn down in 2012, according to Infrastructure Ontario, while ski groomers and some snow making equipment was moved off site. Other pieces of equipment, like snow fans are still on site.

"A lot of different pieces of equipment have come and gone off the site since it's been closed," said DeGiacomo.

"The jumps themselves are in need of not only repair, but reformation if we want to run FIS (International Ski Federation) races or FIS jumping events."

New activities

The plan to re-open Big Thunder as purely a nordic ski facility does not make any sense, DeGiacomo said.

"Our direction over the years, is to establish a site that's multifunctional, 12 months a year of operation, not just four months of good skiing, and the remainder of lousy skiing."

Some activities could include weddings, Boy Scout Jamborees, ski events, sightseeing, hiking, biking, conferences and outdoor education.

Although the first hurdle is getting the province to agree to lease out the site, or turn it over to a private operator, funding is also top of mind.

DeGiacomo said to completely re-open the facilities to how they were in 1995, could cost $30M. He admits it's a big price tag, but said re-opening the area would also be a staged process, and would involve going after the easiest facilities to open, and eventually move onto the jump.

"It's turned into a labour of love for the Friends of Big Thunder to try to get some interest established, and build some type of momentum to get the site opened up."

"The site itself is so, so grand."