Eastern P.E.I. ski club shining a light on what its trails have to offer

The Souris Striders Ski Club has started a project to extend the lighted section of its trails to make it the longest lit ski trail in the Maritimes, the group says.

The northeastern P.E.I. club has 13 kilometres of trails in total, but only three of those are currently lit, said club member Chad Mooney. The project would see another three kilometres worth of lighting added, he said. 

"We get a lot of users that come out in the evenings that want to ski after work or after hours or take their children out," he said. 

"Ultimately, trail accessibility is typically led by lit trail systems because people don't want to go out in the dark."

The cost of the project is about $250,000, and will be funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, P.E.I.'s rural and regional development division and the ski club, Mooney said. 

The club hoped to have the cables buried and the lights installed by now, but completion of the project has been delayed until the spring. 

"We got snow earlier than anticipated, which is a great problem because we're skiing two weeks earlier than last year," Mooney said. 

The lit trail system will give Islanders an opportunity to get out and about in the wintertime when some people might feel like they have nowhere to go, Mooney said. 

"Being outside in the wintertime is probably the most important part to shaking those winter blues," he said. 

"You see a lot of smiles here at the trails."

The additional lighting would mean a lot to the skiers who already use the trails, but the club also hopes it could help attract more people from across the Island. 

"Quite often you're out here and you're seeing faces you haven't seen before. You're talking to people up in the lodge and they're from Stratford or further," said Becky Townshend, the club's president.  

While the Souris Striders Ski Club has experienced dips in membership since it began in the 80s, Townshend said it currently has between 400 and 500 members. 

The club is increasing its offerings by adding more rentals, as well as food vendors and activities on the weekends, she said.