“Our organizing committee, our funders, our sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers have poured their hearts into this event. Unfortunately, the one element we cannot control is Mother Nature, and she had other plans this year.”

According to organizers, current snow conditions at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club made it “impossible” to guarantee the quality of courses required for an Olympic qualification event. Given that there is no flexibility in dates, and because there was sufficient natural snow in the Vernon area, they made the “difficult decision” to move the event.

“Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, along with its volunteers, partners, and the City of Prince George, has invested tremendous effort and commitment into preparing for these trials,” said Beckie Scott, the CEO of Nordiq Canada, the governing body for cross-country skiing in Canada.

“We are deeply appreciative of the time, resources, and collaboration that went into this event. Caledonia remains one of Canada’s premier Nordic venues, with an outstanding record of hosting major competitions, and we fully intend to return for future events.”

Pettersen added the move to Vernon will ensure that Canada’s top cross-country skiers are able to compete in “world-class racing conditions” ahead of next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club has previously hosted the 2024 Para Biathlon World Championships and World Cup Finals, the 2023 Nordiq Canada Selection Trials, the 2019 World Para Nordic Skiing Championships, the 2015 Canada Winter Games, as well as multiple Canadian National Championships.

It was close to becoming the first venue in Northern BC to host an Olympic trials event.

“While we are deeply disappointed, we remain incredibly proud of what Prince George represents in the Nordic skiing world,” Pettersen added.

“This setback doesn’t change our status as a premier destination for world-class competitions, and it doesn’t diminish the support we’ve received from every corner of this community.”

Pettersen also thanked all of the volunteers who poured in hours of work to try and make the event a success, as well as all the sponsors and community partners who helped out.

“Your support has meant the world to us. This may not be our moment this year, but Prince George will have its day on the Olympic stage,” he said.