The Laurentian University greenspace has been in the news lately. The community has been speaking up about its importance, as Laurentian University’s insolvency poses a potential threat to its future.
What you will not see in the news are the countless volunteers in the background, keeping the trails in fine shape for all of us, through all the uncertainty and a global pandemic besides.
Bob Hanson is one of those volunteers, and if you’ve been on the LU trails, you’ve probably seen him quietly getting things done. You might even have seen the sign for ‘Bob’s Corner’ along the ski trails. Or maybe you’ve taken your family on the most children friendly ski loop, ‘Jean’s Gentle Jaunt,’ named after Bob’s late wife, Jean Hanson. And if you or your children have ever taken Jack Rabbit cross country ski lessons in Sudbury, you have Bob to thank.
Bob is probably best known for his countless volunteer hours, across all seasons, building, maintaining and grooming the trails. He’s proud to say that the trails he helped build would cost $3,000/km compared to other trail systems that cost up to $200,000/km. That’s a lot of volunteer hours, Bob!
Bob became involved with the then-named Northland Nordic Ski Club, launched by Terry McKinty, around 1985. When Bob’s daughter was five, he saw a gap in the club programing and started the Jack Rabbit program in 1986-1987.
He recalls delivering flyers to schools and getting public services announcements on cable TV. The first season was a great success, with 100 registrants. The program continues to be a great success under the club’s new name: Laurentian Nordic Ski Club. Each winter the Jack Rabbit program teaches approximately 80-90 kids to ski. Another 400-500 school-aged children participate in ‘ski days on the trails’ every winter, giving many kids their first experience cross-country skiing.
By the late 1970’s, LU had launched a varsity Nordic Ski Team. Bob’s greatest memories from those times were when LU hosted the Ontario University Nordic Ski Championships. LU’s Nordic varsity teams were always strong contenders. But there were also countless volunteer hours grooming the perfect tracks for many Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association, Ontario Cup and Canadian Masters Nordic Championships.
Bob is especially proud of Sofie’s Loop, built in memory of Sudbury’s Sofie Manarin, an incredible young woman who was a member of the Canadian National Junior Nordic team, and who passed away on June 3, 2001. Bob designed and cut the trail himself in 2002, and with the help of a neighbour and his excavator, completed the 2.5-km extension to the LU trail system.
For Bob, there is not only pride in a highly praised technical trail, but gratitude for the spiritual calm it gives him and others as they traverse through the beautiful surroundings of birch and pine forest and the shores of Lake Laurentian.
Naomi Grant and Mandy Hey live in Greater Sudbury. The third part of the story will be told next week. You can read the first part here.
