Legend’s path

Legend’s path

2024

THÉRÈSE ST-ONGE

Thérèse St-Onge was one of the greatest ambassadors of Gatineau 55, the name the event bore after it was handed over from the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Marathon to the National Capital Commission in Gatineau Park in the 1980s. Thérèse was more directly involved with our event from 1985 to 1989.

Born in Edmundston, New Brunswick and a proud Francophone, she attended the University of Moncton and the University of Ottawa to study physical education. She then spent her entire career with the National Capital Commission from 1979 to 2007, reaching the role of senior manager for the organization of Canada Day and Winterlude. It was in this capacity that she took GATINEAU 55 under her wing. She saw this event as an excellent opportunity to promote the Gatineau Park, with its excellent cross-country skiing facilities, and the National Capital Region, worldwide.

As Canada’s representative on the Worldloppet Board of Directors, Thérèse’s endearing personality, her ability to create interpersonal connections, and, her passion earned her respect and unbreakable ties with the WL family. These ties continue to this day.

Thérèse sadly passed away on September 27^th, 2023 at the age of 71, after a 9-year hard fought battle against her illness. By appointing Thérèse St-Onge to the  select club  of the Trail of Legends, the Gatineau Loppet wanted to recognize her major role in the development of the Gatineau Loppet, to officially inscribe her in its history and to keep alive this image of an efficient, dynamic and endearing woman. Thank you for everything, Thérèse.

 

JOCK COULSON AND NICK CLOSE (Men)

Jock Coulson, who was president of the Canadian Ski Marathon for 2 years, and Nick Close, who was the treasurer, went to Upsula, Sweden, in June 1978 for a Euroloppet meeting with the purpose of creating the Worldloppet league. We want to honour them tonight.

Let us recall the events:

• In 1977, Tony Wise of the American Birkebeiner is in talks with representatives of Red River, the forerunner of the Gatineau Loppet, with the goal of creating the Worldloppet.
• In February 1978, representatives of the European races and Steve Cushing (who is here today, from Whistler, British Columbia, all the way from the other side of Canada) travelled to Telemark, Wisconsin, to discuss the possibility of expanding the Euroloppet.
• In June 1978, Jock Coulson and Nick Close from Canada accompanied Tony Wise and his son to Upsala, Sweden. They participated in the creation of the Worldloppet with 8 other founding countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and the United States. The first race calendar was put forth in 1979.

Jock Coulson sadly passed away 5 years ago. His contribution as a volunteer at the CSM, span over at least 15 years. He last skied the Canadian Ski Marathon at the 50th edition. He was then nearly 77 years old. We thank him for his vision and volunteer involvement.

Nick Close was president of the CSM in 1987 and 1988, but it was while in the position of treasurer that he went to Upsala in Sweden.  He holds an “original” WL league passport with the inscription “Founder” numbered Passport #1-00000. He gave a lot of his time to Canada’s largest ski event, the CSM, which in its best years hosted up to 5000 participants. He lives in Cantley, just down the street, with his wife Jennifer. Nick has competed in the CSM 38 times since 1974 (and Jennifer 30 times).

 

CANADIAN SKI MARATHON

The Canadian Ski Marathon is the oldest cross-country skiing event in North America. Founded in 1966, it has been held on the 2nd weekend of February since 1967, the commemorative year of Canada’s centennial. The CSM also takes place in the beautiful Outaouais region starting in Montebello.

Skiers of all ages and abilities sign up for distances ranging from 12 km to 160 km on groomed classic trails through a breathtaking winter landscape. The mythical event is that of COUREUR DES BOIS OR which consists of skiing 80 km on Saturday carrying a backpack containing everything you need to spend the night outside in a bivouac. The next day we set off again on our skis for another 80 km. Quite a challenge but very popular and a reflection of the practices of our ancestors.

By popular demand from cross-country skiers in the 1970s, the CSM was not set as race but rather an untimed event, so it was decided to create a timed event pre-CSM. It was named The Rivière Rouge after the river from which it departed. The 55 km race followed the first 3 stages of the Marathon in reverse and ended in Lachute, a town located about 1 hour drive east of Gatineau. The first start was given in 1977 and was a successful event with more than 1,000 skiers.

The world’s biggest races reached out to  the organisers of the Rivière Rouge to create the WORLDLOPPET in 1978 in Sweden. The first official Canadian race of this new league was held in February 1979 with the participation of several international skiers.

To ensure a better development of the event, and as it was becoming increasingly difficult for volunteers to organize two major events two weekends in a row, the CSM approached the NCC to move the race to the Gatineau Park. Since then, the NCC and the park staff took charge of the event, which was renamed GATINEAU 55. In the late 1980s, the organization was turned over to a non-profit organization (NPO), which has continued ever since.

Therefore, the Gatineau Loppet wishes to induct its ancestor into the select club of the Trail of Legends, the Canadian Ski Marathon, we are thankful  for its vision, determination and major contribution to the development of cross-country skiing in Canada and that of the Gatineau Loppet.

We invite you to come back to the region to ski Canada’s biggest cross-country skiing challenge, the Canadian Ski Marathon.

 

WORLDLOPPET (Pillar – Partner)

The Worldloppet was established in Upsula, Sweden in 1978 with the participation of 9 countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, the United States and Canada). The first official racing calendar took place in 1979, 46 years ago. It is thanks to this league that we have the pleasure of welcoming skiers from all over the world, just like you, and that a passport encourages you to become a GOLD or SILVER master of the Worldloppet, by completing 10 events on various continents.  Every year, we welcome 250 to 400 foreign skiers with passports. Let’s be reminded that the WL requires high quality skills from its members and only one competition per country is accepted.

We are proud and grateful to be part of the extended family of the 19 member countries of the Worldloppet. We hope that the organization will continue to grow, and provide cross-country skiers worldwide with sporting and cultural events that promote a better understanding of each other and peace in the world.

For all these reasons, we are awarding the distinguished Gatineau Loppet Trail of Legends Award, to the Worldloppet.

2023

Lise Meloche and Dave McMahon first met on the National Biathlon Team and formed a lasting personal and professional partnership centred around sport. Dave and Lise are pioneers for cross-country skiing in the region, donating the past 30 years to growing the sport by notably having built and maintained training facilities, mentored thousands of people to ski and founding/coaching a number of ski clubs, including the largest adult ski club in the country, to name only a few. Dave and Lise are dedicated to creating significant opportunities for healthy outdoor lifestyle, promoting natural fitness, physical literacy and inspiring long-term athlete development through direct grass-roots community involvement and global campaigns for gender and age equality in sport, multilingual, multiculturalism, accessibility, science education, leadership, and coaching. Lise and Dave raced both World Cup Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing for Canada.  Lise raced two Olympic games and 200 World Cups; winning 7 medals, including four (4) Golds.  She was ranked 3rd overall in the World. Dave competed for Canada in six sports. He was Canadian National Biathlon, Snowshoeing and Winter Triathlon Champion, ranked 3rd in the World for summer biathlon, and represented Canada at the World Snowshoe Championships and World Loppet circuit. Lise and Dave are both past winners and ambassadors of the Gatineau Loppet, with a combined total of over 40 participations, and are the 2022 World Masters Cross Country Skiing Champions.

CCN + Gatineau Park

The National Capital Commission cares for and protects vital public places that are unique to our nation’s symbolic, natural and cultural heritage, such as Gatineau Park. Gatineau Park the largest green space in the region, covering an area of more than 361 square kilometers, and is a place of rich and unique biodiversity. It is the second-most visited park in Canada, and a destination for outdoor enthusiasts to engage in recreational activities, such as cross-country skiing, all while respecting the environment. Gatineau Park’s vast territory is divided into several sectors, each of which feature various points of interest and historical places. Gatineau Park notably has one of the largest and best maintained networks of cross-country ski trails in North America. It has over 200 kilometers of classic cross-country, skate and back-country ski trails, making it the ideal host for the Gatineau Loppet since the very beginning. The National Capital Commission was responsible for the organization of the event until the creation of the NPO and has remained a valuable partner of the Gatineau Loppet ever since.

2020

Mr. Alex Harvey is Canada’s greatest cross-country skier of all time. He won his first major awards at the World Junior Championships in 2007 and 2008. Mr. Harvey spent most of his life travelling around the world, winning more than 30 World Cup podiums, including nine victories. He was third overall at the World Cup in 2014 and 2018 and third on the 2018 Tour de ski. Mr. Harvey has competed in three Olympic Games with a record in Pyeongchang, Korea, with a 4th place finish in the 50 km. His two best races were the team sprint with Devon Kershaw in Oslo at the 2011 World Championships and as champion at 28-years-old of the 50 km freestyle in Lahti, Finland in 2017. Mr. Harvey has always been a role model for all young athletes. He has been involved in many initiatives by promoting school perseverance and healthy lifestyle habits.

Ms. Louise Poirier was a member of the Gatineau Loppet Board of Directors for over 30 years, including six years as President. As a race finish announcer, she is (literally) the “Voice” of the Gatineau Loppet! Ms. Poirier’s leadership, dedication and passion have contributed to the continued success of the Gatineau Loppet which remains, year after year, one of the most popular cross-country skiing events in Canada. She has been awarded the title of Worldloppet Master after completing her 10th long distance event in Estonia in 2017. In addition to Ms. Poirier’s involvement in the Gatineau Loppet, she plays a key role in promoting the Outaouais region and continues to be very involved in the community. Her work has been recognized on several occasions, including the 2014 Dollard-Morin Sports and Recreation Volunteer Support Award from the Government of Quebec.

 

2019

Mr. Malcolm Hunter was the Canadian leading male cross-skier at the 1972 Olympics. He won the 1969 Junior Championships and also won the Canadian Senior Championships that year. The sport remains a big part of Mr. Hunter’s  life; he has been a ski coach, a trail consultant for the National Capital Commission, Executive Director of Cross Country Canada, an active volunteer with the Gatineau Loppet and a former member of its Board of Directors. He has been a true ambassador of the event for several years. Mr. Hunter’s book The Trail Beckons: 100 Years of Cross-Country Skiing in the Gatineau recounts the history of cross-country skiing over the past 100 years in the Gatineau region.

2018

Mr. Richard Weber is one of the world’s pre-eminent polar explorers with more than 60 completed Arctic, North and South Pole expeditions. He is the Founder of Weber Arctic. Mr. Weber’s long and diverse list of polar firsts and record-making accomplishments include: the first surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Canada; the first snowshoe trek to the North Pole; and in 1995 the first (and only) unsupported return trip to the North Pole. He began working in Arctic tourism in 1993 when he guided the world’s first commercial trek to the North Pole, and conducted hiking and kayaking trips on Baffin Island. Mr. Weber has to his credit the distinction of having the most successful treks to the North Pole of anyone in history.

2017

Mr. Pierre Harvey distinguished himself in cycling prior to experiencing success on the Cross-Country World Cup circuit. In 1984, he became the first Canadian to take part in two Olympic events in the same year competing in both the Sarajevo Winter Games and the Los Angeles Summer Games, where he did his last road bike race.

2016

Mr. Claude Laramée has been involved in the Gatineau Loppet since 1994, and has held several key positions in the organization, including those of President, Treasurer, Course Leader and Race Director. His passion, his leadership, his tremendous skills and, most of all, his perceptiveness, have contributed to the development of the Gatineau Loppet and of cross-country skiing in general in the area. It is worth highlighting, among other things, Mr. Laramée’s role in the development of the 51 km linear classic, in connecting clubs and associations together with the Gatineau Loppet and in bringing Ski Tour Canada to Gatineau.

2015

Ms. Evelyne Stone was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2000, and a year later she received a stem cell transplant. In order to help with her recovery, she decided to train for the 10 km race in the 2002 Gatineau Loppet. Ms. Stone soon realized that she could turn this initiative into a fundraising event for the Little Angels Blood Cancer Fund. The Fund provides financial support to patients undergoing treatment for blood cancer or a stem cell transplant at the Ottawa Hospital and helps patients experiencing financial difficulty by funding non-medical expenses such as travel, accommodation, childcare and food.

2014

Club Skinouk, Mr. Jacques Dumont, Mr. Pierre Trudeau and Mr. Michel Pellerin

• Club Skinouk, launched countless initiatives that have greatly benefited the Gatineau Loppet and cross-country skiing in the Outaouais.
• Mr. Jacques Dumont, vice-president and highly involved volunteer with Club Skinouk since the late 1980s.
• Mr. Pierre Trudeau and Mr. Michel Pellerin, two active volunteers who have worked tirelessly to bring about the Relais plein air project to the Gatineau Park.

2013

Ms. Sheila Kealey, the first legend in the history of the Gatineau Loppet, has made it to the podium six times, including twice to the top for long distance races in the event. In 2010, she also won the 27 km freestyle. Ms. Kealey finished 16 times among the top 5 in the women’s races, and took part in 25 Gatineau Loppet races. She is an avid sportswoman, with a particular fondness for endurance sports, and a promoter of healthy living. Ms. Kealey is grateful for the support of the XC Ottawa racing team and Rossignol, which enable her to do the NorAm Canada Cup races. She is particularly keen on the longer races, such as those of the Gatineau Loppet. Ms. Kealey also runs, cycles, and is a triathlete who eagerly promotes physical activity among young people as a coach with the Nakkertok cross-country ski club.