Citizens group wants Thunder Bay ski jump venue re-opened

With memories of ski jumper Horst Bulau in their heads, a group of Thunder Bay citizens are reviving the idea to reopen Big Thunder as a national Nordic sports training centre.

The day after the torch was extinguished at Vancouver Olympic Games, the Friends of Big Thunder Bay announced March 1, they had submitted a letter of intent to the province expressing interest in re-opening Big Thunder Sports Park.

The venue has been closed since 1996.

The group wants to redevelop the facility into a year-round mixed use multi-purpose training operation for ski jumping, freestyle and cross-country skiing but also activities such as mountain biking, event hosting and hiking.

"Opening the site in a staged approach by starting small and growing as the funds and needs are identified as the vision of the FOBT," said spokesperson Paul DeGiacomo in a statement.

Known in its hey-day as 'Little Norway,' Big Thunder Sports Park began as a private alpine ski operation in the 1960s. The venue gained an international reputation over the years culminating with being the host site for the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1995.