The Canmore Nordic Centre was developed to host the 1988 Winter Olympic Cross Country events. Since that success, the Nordic Centre has played host to a wide number of Cross Country Skiing events yearly ranging from the 1995 World Masters where over 1,000 athletes competed to the 1997 World Junior Championships to the annual Rocky Mountain Ski Marathon which has 300-500 competitors. Other major events hosted by the Canmore Nordic Ski Club at the Nordic Centre in the past include the 2005 and 2008 World Cups, the 2002 Canadian Junior and Senior Nationals, the 1992 and 1994 Canadian Junior Championships and the 1998 Canadian Senior Championships.

The ski trails have been expanded since the Olympics to add yet more variety and flexibility in hosting races (there are over 70 kilometers of trails). The team rooms, wax rooms, showers, medical rooms, media centre, restaurant, day lodge and Bill Warren Training Centre are all available to be used for the event and all facilities are wheelchair accessible. Spectator viewing areas are plentiful and fenced off from the trails.

A $25-million refurbishment of the Nordic Centre, funded by the Alberta government, was completed in early 2008 and recertified the facility to host international biathlon and cross-country events.

CNSC enjoys an unparalleled relationship with the custodians of the Canmore Nordic Centre (many of them are members of our Club). This means that our standing Race Committee is familiar with dealing with all aspects of the Canmore Nordic Centre and can get done what needs to be done.

Mount Shark

As a back up location, Canmore is spoiled to have the Mount Shark trail system which was developed as a back up for the 1988 Olympics but is still used annually for the Alberta Sharkfest races at the end of the season. Mount Shark is 30 km south from Canmore but has the benefit of being at altitude so it holds snow throughout the winter.