August 18, 2015 – Members from the Fédération internationale de Ski (FIS) were in Canada from August 13-18 to inspect the host Ski Tour Canada 2016 venues in Gatineau, Montréal, Québec City, and Canmore, March 1-12, 2016. “We had a very full schedule, but everything went well from start to finish. We are going to work closely with the organizers of the Ski Tour Canada 2016 in the next months and will follow the final preparations. We look forward to 2016,” said FIS race director Pierre Mignerey.

At the various inspections carried out over the past few days, FIS representatives, accompanied by Cross Country Canada members and local organizing committees, took a close look at the planned courses and facilities available in each of the host cities for athletes, teams, media, volunteers, technical teams and spectators. “We took the time to analyze everything in order to prioritize the work that remains to be done before the March start of the Tour,” explained Dave Dyer, event director at Cross Country Ski Canada. Over the next few weeks and months, the organizing committees will continue working on course plans, presenting partners, and the lineup of events for each stage of the Tour.

Canmore Visit
Canmore was the final stop for the FIS representatives after visiting all four of the Quebec Tour sites. “We are so proud and excited to host the Ski Tour Canada 2016 in Canmore at one of the best cross-country skiing venues in the world,” said Norbert Meier, event chair and President of the Alberta World Cup Society. “We have incredible community and volunteer support here in Canmore, and we know that the FIS is as excited as we are for this event.”

The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park is a world-class Nordic venue with more than 65km of groomed trails and the largest snowmaking system in North America. A legacy site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, the Canmore Nordic Centre has been the proud host of many international Nordic events, including four FIS cross country World Cups.

The Ski Tour Canada 2016 will see athletes will race in Canmore on March 8, 9, 11, and 12. As the season finale event for 2015-2016, and with no Olympic Games or World Championships on the international calendar for the year, Ski Tour Canada 2016 is sure to be one of the highlights of next season.

About FIS
FIS, founded in 1924, is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee, FIS manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, and Snowboarding, and sets the international competition rules. Through its 119 national federations, more than 7,000 FIS ski and snowboard competitions are staged annually. Specific initiatives are undertaken by FIS to promote winter sports, particularly for the young.

About Cross Country Ski Canada
Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 58,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials, and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canada’s National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. With the support of its valued corporate partners—Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas, and Mackenzie—along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium, and B2dix, Cross Country Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, and world champions.

About the National Organizing Committee (NOC)
The NOC has been established by Cross Country Canada (CCC) to assist in managing and coordinating Ski Tour Canada 2016. By facilitating communication between CCC and the Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) including ÉVÈNEMENTS NORDIQUES GATINEAU (Gatineau), QUÉBEC WINTER EVENTS CORPORATION (Montréal and Québec City), and the ALBERTA WORLD CUP SOCIETY (Canmore & Lake Louise), the NOC plans to deliver a seamless Tour in both eastern and western Canada.

About the Alberta World Cup Society
The Alberta World Cup Society is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 with the mission of bringing international cross-country ski events to Alberta. The Society provides for athlete development and coaching development through the Alberta World Cup Academy, one of Canada’s top athlete development centres, and works with Cross Country Alberta in the development of race officials and volunteers. All members of the Society are volunteers, and the Society re-invests all proceeds from World Cup events in the sport of cross country skiing.