Canadians should brace for coldest winter in almost 15 years: forecast

TORONTO - Environment Canada says it appears the country will have to endure its coldest winter in almost 15 years as everyone is reminded what a real Canadian winter feels like.

Senior climatologist David Phillips says Canada has had a number of warmer than normal winters in recent years, but this December through February is forecast to be one of the harshest in recent memory.

With the exception of a small pocket in southern Ontario, the entire country is coloured blue for colder than normal on Environment Canada's weather map.
Precipitation forecasts are less reliable, but Phillips says the colder winter will likely result in a lot of white Christmas' across the country.

Last year, a number of traditionally cold and snow-covered cities like Quebec City, Ottawa and Timmins, Ont., had their first green Christmas in decades.
Phillips says a cold winter with lots of snow is good for the economy, and will likely push people into doing their Christmas shopping and booking holidays to escape the cold.

"I always think it's good for the economy when weather is behaving like it should, when winters are cold and summers are hot," he said.

"With the Canadian dollar the way it is and with this colder than normal weather, it very well may be that the busiest people in the country are travel agents."

Phillips says the forecast for cold weather is being triggered by La Nina, a period of lower than normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.

2007 PMRC Ski and Snowboard Swap

Poley Mountain Racing Club
Ski and Snowboard Swap
Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
10am to 2pm
Poley Mountain Lodge – Sussex

Admission $2.00 per person or $5 per family

Great Deals on New and Pre-owned Ski and Snowboard Equipment, Clothing and Accessories.

Equipment drop off at Poley Mountain:
Friday, November 2nd from 7pm to 9pm
Saturday, November 3rd from 8am to 9:30am

Program registration available for:
Husky Snow Stars ages 5-10
K1 Race Team ages 11 & 12
Senior Race Team ages 13+

Last chance to take advantage of Poley Mountains’
early bird season pass rates (up until Nov. 3rd).

Unsold items are to be picked up by 2pm. Commission of 20% will go directly
to PMRC in support of race programs.

Cash or Cheque Only

Vente d’équipement
De skis et de planches à neige
-Organisée par le club de course Poley Mountain

Samedi le 3 novembre, 2007
de 10h à 14h
Poley Mountain (Sussex)

Coût d’entrée:
2,00$ par individu ● 5,00$ par famille

Équipement de skis et de planches à neige, vêtements d’hiver et accessoires usagés et nouveaux. Le tout à excellent prix!

*Pour vendre votre équipement : Veuillez apporter votre équipement au chalet de Poley Mountain vendredi le 2 nov. de 19h a 21h ou samedi le 3 nov. de 8h a 9h 30.

Enregistrement pour les programmes suivants :
-Étoiles des neiges (5-10 ans)
-Équipe de course K1 (11 – 12 ans)
-Équipe de course sénior (13+)

Dernière chance pour profiter des forfaits
sur les passes de saison pour Poley Mountain!

Les items non-vendus doivent être récupérés avant 14h. Une commission de 20% s’applique afin de supporter le club de course Poley Mountain.

Argent comptant ou chèque seulement

CLEAN UP DAY AT POLEY!

CLEAN UP DAY AT POLEY!
Saturday, October 20, 2007

Reminder - We are on for Saturday - rain or shine.

The gates at Poley will be open at 9:30am and we plan to get started by 10:00. BBQ lunch will be provided. We need all the help we can get! See you there.

Here are a few tasks we would like to accomplish:

*Inventory & labeling of race equipment
*Paint the outside of the race shack
*Clean inside the race shack
*Build a deck on the race shack
*Fix the back door

BBQ is planned for lunch. If anyone is interested in bringing rolls or cookies, please contact Jennifer at pjjobe@rogers.com

Bring along your paintbrush, hammer and lots of energy! Open to all club members –
young and young at heart!

Looking forward to seeing you all!

PMRC Board of Directors

K1 Boys Do Well at Mont Farlagne

After braving treacherous roads and frigid temperatures, our small but mighty K1 team showed great spirit and came up with some good runs in their first race of the year at Mont Farlagne this past weekend. Martin Daigle, Ross LeMesurier, Andrew McLean and Neil Symington competed in GS and SL events on Saturday, with Andrew bringing home double silver and Ross snagging a bronze medal in GS. Teams from Crabbe Mountain, Mont Farlagne and Martock participated in this event. Unfortunately, the skills event on Sunday was cancelled due to the extreme (cold) weather conditions. Congratulations to all of our athletes and to Julie Daigle who was a forerunner for both events; special thanks also to coaches Ian McAvity and Louis LeBlond. Hopefully the weather will be better for our next race and all team members will be able to participate!

SnowStars Program Starts this Weekend

The weather and snow conditions look good for the weekend and we hope that our Husky SnowStars program will be able to get underway for the season. Registration will be available in the Lodge from 9:00am and the aspiring racers will meet their coaches on-snow at 10:00am.

To assist parents in preparing for the start of the season, the following tips may make things go more smoothly for all concerned.

Recipe for a Great Ski Season

• Skis and bindings must meet current safety standards.


• Helmets designed for skiing are mandatory.


• Goggles are strongly recommended.


• Warm clothes are a must. Skiers will stay outside for the entire morning and afternoon, even on cold days.


• Be dry. Check to make sure all mitts, socks, neck warmers, helmets, ski boot liners and clothing are dry. Pack an extra pair of socks and mitts just in case they get wet during the morning.


• Start with a good night’s sleep. Skiers are spending the day outside, getting lots of exercise and they must be well rested and ready to ski.


• Make sure your child eats a good breakfast before they hit the snow. Ensure that they have a good lunch to re-fuel for the afternoon.


• Have your child make a “pit stop” at the washroom before they head out in the morning and again at lunch.


• You may want to tuck a $2 coin into your child’s pocket in case it’s a very cold day and the group stops for a hot chocolate.


• Please ensure that skiers arrive at the meeting place on time in the morning and after lunch, so that the group does not have to wait. Also, please be prompt when picking up your children at the end of each session – the coach needs a break too!


• Skiers are expected to be well behaved and respectful of their coach and the other children in their group.


• Remember that the main goal is to have fun!
  

For more information on the Husky SnowStars program, you may wish check out the SnowStars page on the ACA website. If you have any questions about the program and how it works, please do not hesitate to speak with any of the coaches or our SnowStars Coordinator Dawn Moffet-McLean.

Change of Venue for Race

Due to the uncertain snow conditions, the race which we had hoped to host this weekend at Poley has been moved to Mont Farlagne in Edmundston. Good luck to all of our racers who will be travelling to Mont Farlagne to compete in this event!

RACE CANCELLED!

The Race Organizing Committee has reluctantly decided to cancel the race scheduled for this weekend due to the current and deteriorating weather conditions. We are hoping to reschedule this race - possibly as early as next weekend (January 13/14) and will be making an announcement as soon as possible. Our apologies for any inconvenience. THINK SNOW!!