Kamiskotia Snow Resort may soon have to remove the wintry reference in its name, now that it’s moving to a multi-season destination.
This summer, the facility, which until now has operated solely as a ski hill, will become home to a new motocross track, being developed by Neil Neamtu of 705MX.
Work to clear the 10 acres of land set aside for the track, just down from the ski hill, has been ongoing steadily throughout the spring, said Mat Vachon, the resort’s general manager. The overall plan has been in the works for about a year.
“We had to first get the OK to harvest the trees in the space that we wanted to develop the track on, so that’s what took the longest,” Vachon said. “Then we had to make some small changes to our account with the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry).”
Tembec and local logging company DeBastos & Sons volunteered to harvest the wood, and students from Collège Boréal’s forestry program will remove stumps and clear debris from the land. Then it will be up to Neamtu to build and shape the track.
Vachon said the facility’s certificate of operation is conducive to allowing other recreational activities outside of skiing on the site, but motocross seemed a natural fit.
Whereas in other sports, participants are cutting back on their recreational budgets, motocross enthusiasts continue to invest in the sport, signifying longevity and sustainability that would support a full-fledged track.
“Motorsports seem to be fairly strong; people are investing in their toys,” Vachon said. “And motocross seems to be fairly popular around here, so we were comfortable with the idea.”
According to the agreement laid out for the track, Neamtu will run the motocross operation on a day-to-day basis, while Kamiskotia will be more involved during special events.
“The hill should be able to benefit from that tourism, or just people coming to the place to watch some racing,” Vachon said. “So, there are some equal benefits: the area gets a much-needed track, and we in turn get a little more foot traffic in the summertime.”
Once the track is operational, Vachon said they will look to get it certified, so they’re able to hold sanctioned races.
“Our goal is to have one of the top facilities,” he said. “We want our track to be as good of a facility as any of the provincial or national events are held on, so that way we can be considered for those in the future.”
The idea of expanding Kamiskotia’s offerings, and making it a four-season resort, has long been talked about. Last year, the volunteer board sought support from city council on cost-reduction efforts, and proposed seeking government funding to attract activities such as mountain biking, ziplining, rock climbing and Tough Mudder events.
Vachon said the resort hasn’t ruled out adding other activities, but for now wants to concentrate its attention on supporting the development of the motocross track, and hopes to see equal support from the community.
Developers are aiming to have the track operational by year’s end.
