Bee-hind the scenes: Sustainability at Caledon Ski Club
Each year Caledon Ski Club creates new capital projects that aim to improve our Club's sustainability, for both our members and our environment. Some projects are easier to spot than others; the addition of our West Lodge Bar a few years back was one of the big ones. Some other changes are less visible, but not any less important. These behind the scenes changes all come from Caledon Ski Club’s commitment to lowering our overall environmental impact. We thought you might like to know what has changed recently, and what is upcoming!
We Make Snowmaking Efficient. In the summer of 2018, our Operations Crew replaced three of the Club’s aging compressors with a state-of-the-art single unit. These mammoths of machinery are what power our snowmaking all throughout the winter and make the snow that you ski on every day. Since then, we have continued replacing our old compressers, along with repairs to leaks in valves and lines, and replacment of snowmaking nozzles. For when we make our slopes, we installed a Snowwright system in our grooming equiptment in 2019. This allows us to utilize, conserve, and distribute snow more efficiently on the slopes. With newer and better technology, we are able to lower the club’s annual electricity needs, lower our water consumption, and our yearly repair costs. Updating our snowmaking technology did not make sense only financially, but lowers our ecological footprint significantly.
Garbage and Recycling. Have you ever noticed how nice the garbage and recycling bins are at Caledon? That has nothing to do with vanity. Caledon uses the CleanRiven bins, made from 97% recycled material. These bins do not rust like metal, are extremely durable, and are very visible. Studies have shown that the more visible different types of bins are, the more likely someone is to separate their trash. Properly separated bins lead to less waste, less in our landfills, and more reaching recycling facilities. Small changes like this have a surprisingly large impact.
Staying Local: Whenever we can, Caledon reaches out to local vendors and suppliers first. Working within the community supports the people directly around us. It lowers travel costs, gas consumption, and supports the local economy. Just take a look at our taps, where 50% or more of our beer is from local breweries. For the 2025/26 season, our coffee will be supplied by Birch Bark Roasters, bringing a taste of Caledon to your morning. All of their coffee is Fair Trade-Certified Organic, and a portion of their sales goes towards the Clean Water initiative, bringing fresh drinking water systems to Indigenous communities.
Bees!!! Have you seen the honey in the Caledon Kiosk? Come out and visit the Club this summer and you can see the workers making next year’s crop. In the summer of 2018 Caledon Ski Club brought in 11 hives to the property, and have since been thriving. Bees have had a tough time lately and the addition to the Club improves the local environment and gives these little guys some extra space to live. Not to mention our Members will enjoy a tasty treat.
Lighting the Club: Caledon is proud to say that our lighting is almost completly LED. LED lights use signifigantly less energy and last longer then tradtional light bulbs, reducing GHG emmissions and waste from replacing lights. The transfer to LED light may seem like a small deal, or have gone unnoticed, but it makes all the difference. The Cafeteria is No Exception: Since Covid, we have been gradually shifting back to using ceramic mugs and reusable dishware, reducing waste from disposable plates, cups, and cutlery. We continue to encourage our Members to use our reusable dishware. In addition, we also removed all plastic straws in 2019, and have a Oil recyling program for kitchen oil and hazardous oil. The Small but Mighty Initatives: We have many other small initatives currently going on, such as: using non-bleached paper towel in bathrooms, an anti-idiling program for vehicles (with signage), motion activated lights, programable thermostats, and more. How Can You Help? For upcoming winter seasons, we ask our Members to support our commitment and help protect our environment. Here are someways you can help: Take your time to sort your waste to help reduce landfill, bring your own water bottle to be filled at our water fountians, or use the glass cups provided in our cafeterias, and if your bringing your own food, pack with the environment in mind and make it as litter-less as possible.
Helping the environment does not stop there. If you have an idea or suggestion bring it up! Come talk to us. Email Doug at deriksen@caledonskiclub.on.ca. Call us at 519-927-5221 ex 225 or talk to the Board at next years AGM. We want to hear from you.
