Round Table

2021/22 DIRECTORS ROUND TABLE

STEVEN KOSTER, PAST PRESIDENT #alpinespringskiing

Alpine has a long history of looking ahead – think back to the Big Picture, the Heritage Plan, and the Legacy Plan. These had a central goal – to balance our infrastructure to service the requirements of our membership.

We all believe that Alpine offers the best private club experience on the ridge. From generations of families who continue to call Alpine their home, to the new members who have just joined, the glue that binds us is the Club and our Alpine family.

We must continue to invest in our Club for all our families, especially our youth.

The youth of Alpine are the future of the Club. It is critical that we invest in that future – as has been done over the past 60 years, most recently with the clubhouse and as we will continue to do in the future, investing in chairlifts, snowmaking and other projects.

The Strategic Planning Committee has been working hard on a multi-year vision looking at the current and future needs of the Club and is looking forward to engaging with our members this year to further develop and formalize the plan. STEPHEN KAHN, TREASURER

#alpinehikes

Last year was a special year as COVID-19 resulted in numerous changes in our operations. One of the actions taken by the Board was to significantly reduce capital expenditures to preserve cash due to the uncertainty from the pandemic. As a result, this year looks very different – our capital expenditures budget is $700,000, which is higher than normal to make up for some of last year’s underinvestment.

Highlights of this year’s investments include new terrain park features, new ski racks, snowmaking equipment, and a new bridge to the North. The cost of the bridge was covered by a very generous member donation from Henry and Eberhard Leistner – a gift for which we are very grateful. With this donation included, our capital expenditures are greater than $900,000. This higherthan-normal investment will help to ensure that we can continue to provide the best experience on the ridge. If you are interested in donating funds to accelerate our investments in Alpine’s future, please contact the office.

Steven Koster Stephen Kahn

Kathleen Flynn

KATHLEEN FLYNN, SECRETARY/GOVERNANCE

#lookingforward #futurememories

Looking forward!

We have certainly weathered challenging times this past year, but out of that experience comes optimism for the future. We’ve seen the resilience, ingenuity, and determination of our management team, staff, and volunteers to adapt and deliver the safest recreational experience possible. I am proud to serve alongside a committed group of Board members who bring to the table their love of Alpine, together with their varied professional skills and experience, to support Management and provide direction and problem-solving in ways we never could have foreseen!

As our family donned our Alpine caps for a Thanksgiving hike on the ridge, it made me smile to think of the many happy memories of family times at Alpine over the years. We love the fall colours, but we’re excited to THINK SNOW and look ahead to more memory-making days on the slopes with family and friends in the Alpine community.

And that’s what makes me optimistic for the future at Alpine – just think of all this Club can accomplish as we collectively turn our attention and creative energy to our quest to continually improve the member experience at Alpine!

Laura Coward

LAURA COWARD, ALPINE PROGRAMS, SAFETY, INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP

#familiesthatracetogether

As we all know, the future of Alpine lies with our new members. This season will see one of our largest cohort of introductory members in Alpine’s history! Interestingly, when we ask new families why they chose Alpine, the resounding answer is often our welcoming atmosphere. They make the decision to stay because they can see themselves and future generations of their family enjoying the Club. It’s an incredible testament to the members and staff that this feeling is so clearly conveyed. I am excited for the future of Alpine, for our new families, and to continue to share the feelings of excitement that Alpine brings!

There are not enough positive things to say about Alpine’s on-hill programs. Our heavily subscribed programs continue to expand and evolve to meet the needs of our membership. This is possible with the support we receive from our members and with the efforts of our amazing staff. Priorities for the future include developing and improving critical infrastructure to support athlete development both on and off the hill. Alpine athletes compete at the provincial, national, and even international level. We are invested in continuing to support our athletes to reach and exceed their goals through the highest calibre program offerings.

Peter Moorhead

PETER MOORHEAD, FOOD & BEVERAGE

#alpinemonoskiassociation #seeyouatapres

2021 presented challenges to both Alpine’s Food & Beverage and the Men with Knives teams. The biggest challenge was the loss of Gareth Carter, who was the heart of MWK. Gareth is and will be sorely missed by all. Even while dealing with the loss, Julie and the MWK team are committed to keeping Alpine’s food offering in its place as the best of any of the clubs on the ridge and top caterer in the region – something Gareth was proud of building. MWK continues to hold the title of Simcoe Readers’ Choice Awards’ ‘Favourite Catering Company’ for the last five years.

Last year, the pandemic restrictions forced us to rethink how we operate and in doing so we made some changes that proved to be a big hit, including: • increased outdoor seating with picnic tables, • Slopeside food truck, • increased patio service, • take-home dinners and après kits, and • online ordering and pre-ordering.

Continuing to push forward this year, MWK is creating menu offerings we can all enjoy, and as of today, we expect to have indoor dining back! But don’t worry, we won’t lose those picnic tables, as they created a safe and enjoyable outdoor atmosphere, and we will continue to improve the service using our pre-order options. MWK is working with a local caterer to provide a unique experience at the Upper Chalet – an outdoor wood-fired grill, picnic tables, a burning fire, and great food will create another feature here at the top of Alpine.

We are looking forward to this season; making some turns with friends, enjoying a great lunch, a beer, and taking home a delicious dinner. We are hopeful that we can welcome back the Après experience this season – we all will be ready.

Hope to see you all on the slopes!

Fiona Skedlding-Barach Terence Woodside

FIONA SKELDING-BARACH, MEMBERSHIP

#proudtocallAlpinehome

Alpine is sixty years young and it only gets better from here! As I look to the season ahead, I do so with great anticipation and excitement. The success of the Club has always been our adaptability to whatever is thrown at us, and our common belief in the Alpine family. It is our strength and something that we should all be proud of. As we continue to evolve as a club and our membership, we as a Board will continue to listen to you to gain a deeper understanding as to how we can enhance the Alpine experience, making it a compelling and inviting place to be for all ages, today and in the future. This year, we look to celebrate our past, our future, and each other like never before. Here’s to another 60!

TERENCE WOODSIDE, PROPERTY & INFRASTRUCTURE

#hardboarddad

We are excited to be unveiling a brand-new bridge to the North this season! I had the pleasure of getting to know Henry Leistner, one of our founding members this fall, as we spent some time together working on the new bridge. We discovered that we have common interests in manufacturing, specifically furniture, and in electric cars, specifically Teslas. He spent time recounting the early days of Alpine, cutting runs, repairing T-bars, and driving his car over the creek before there was even a bridge! What has struck me about him is how much Henry looks forward to things – the approaching ski season, his impending Tesla delivery, and making the Club better for future members.

Henry and his brothers have spent a lifetime contributing to the Club. Even after sixty years, he is still thinking about how to improve the experience and infrastructure at Alpine, with their time, their labour, and their financial support. I received news of Henry’s brother, Eberhard, only hours after our last visit to review the bridge construction. It was sad to hear of his passing, and I felt for Henry and his family that Eberhard would not be able to see the realization of his generous donation. As you cross over the new bridge this winter, I hope you take a moment to think about the contributions of our founding members, several of whom have passed this year, and how they have made the Club what it is today. I look forward to having a few runs with my new friend Henry this season, and to having a run or two in honour of Eberhard.