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W H I T E WAT E R SHUTTLE
Wednesday, January 9 • 2013
Climbing wall proponents make new pitch See Page 3
New contest to help you stay in shape See Page 14
Throwdown title paying dividends Nelson and Rossland mayors say community spirit and hard work won Powder Magazine’s coveted Ski Town Throwdown; Whitewater and Red Mountain already getting ‘a tonne of calls’ after last month’s impressive victory DARREN DAVIDSON Special to the Nelson Star
With media calls and public inquires being fielded from around the province and country following Nelson and Rossland’s Powder One Way $7.50 Magazine Ski Town Throwdown Return $11.00 *INCLUDES HST win, Mayor John Dooley is praising Riding with us more than once? Ask us about Shuttle Pass the community’s efforts in helping Booklets and SAVE! land the high profile honour. 602 Lake Street Over Christmas, Nelson and 250.354.4944 •1.800.666.9420 Rossland beat out 32 other North www.skiwhitewater.com American ski destinations in a twomonth on-line contest to choose the continent’s very best ski town. “I believe we were successful RHC REALTY for several reasons,” says Dooley. “Both Nelson and Rossland have Serving Nelson a population that has deep roots and Area since here. Community pride was a huge 1908 factor.” The mayor says residents from both cities truly believe they live in an adventure tourism paradise. 250.352.7252 “And our ski hills are just one Independently Owned and Operated piece of that,” 11/27/2012 Dooley2:24:50 adds, NelsonStar_lug_NDCU_banklocal_Nov28-Jan9.pdf PM stressing the city’s four-season holiday www.rhcrealty.com opportunities. Rossland mayor Greg Granstrom agrees, saying Nelson and Rossland share tremendous community Not only were we spirit and rich history. the first financial “There’s a commonality between institution in town the two communities, not a comwith an ATM, we petitiveness,” says Granstrom. “It’s were the first with a huge asset. And we’re more than weekend hours. willing to share it all with the world. Open Saturday from We really compliment each other.” 9:30 to 12:30. Nelson Kootenay Lake Tournelsoncu.com ism and Tourism Rossland are now working together to leverage
bank local
Vol. 5 • Issue 55
The proof is in the powder — 17-year-old Nelson skier Chloe Kuch was up to her elbows in famous Kootenay powder over the holidays, along with Christmas crowds that included Powder Magazine’s editor, here from Southern California, where the magazine is based. For more on Nelson/Rossland’s Powder Ski Town Throwdown win last month, and an interview with editor John Stifter, see page 2. Steve Ogle photo
the Ski Town Throwdown victory through the rest of the winter and warm-weather months to follow. The contest saw Whitewater and Red Mountain win head-to-head vote-offs with Sugarloaf, Maine; Whitefish, Montana; Crested Butte, Colorado; Sandpoint, Idaho and lastly, in an 11,426 to 10,572-vote final, Bozeman, Montana. Dooley pounded the pavement for every round, urging locals and visitors alike to vote.
“We made calls and emails to all our employees and Regional District [of Central Kootenay] directors and staff. Any chance we got, the contest was front and centre in every conversation we had for a number of weeks.” On a number of occasions, the mayor walked Baker and Vernon streets and Lakeside Drive, visiting business owners face-to-face. “I talked to, Facebook-ed, emailed and phoned almost every
contact I have across Canada and around the world,” Dooley adds. “And that’s a lot of contacts.” The promotional impact of the win, which saw Whitewater and Red out pace even global yearround resort greats like Whistler, Aspen and Jackson Hole, is already being felt. Whitewater Resort’s Anne Pigeon has already conducted Story continues to ‘Kootenay’ on Page 2