Volunteers with the St. Cyr Trails Club clear debris where the chalet once stood, after a fire destroyed the building ahead of the 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games. (St Cyr Trails Club - Meadow Lake/Facebook)

By Kenneth Cheung

CLUB RESILIENCE

‘We still have a lot of determination’: St. Cyr Trails Club keeps Sask. Winter Games goal after chalet fire

Jul 7, 2025 | 3:48 PM

After a fire destroyed its chalet, administrators at a ski club near Meadow Lake say they won’t give up on hosting cross-country and Para Nordic events for the 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games.

“It has been really challenging. It’s been really disappointing for all of us who have worked so hard to get to this point, but we still have a lot of determination to host the cross-country ski event at our club,” said Desiree Lalonde, secretary of the St. Cyr Trails Club.

The non-profit, located 20 kilometres east of the city, has operated for nearly 50 years and relies entirely on volunteers. The chalet — built in the 1980s — had just received a brand new roof when it burned down overnight on May 22.

“We had not even posted the update about our brand new roof on the chalet,” Lalonde said.

According to RCMP, there is no evidence at this time to suggest the fire is suspicious. As it is not currently under police investigation, no further information is available.

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The St. Cyr Trails Club chalet was completely destroyed by fire in late May. Volunteers are now clearing the site ahead of the 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games. (St Cyr Trails Club – Meadow Lake/Facebook)

The club, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026, had hoped the milestone year would also mark a big moment on the trails as host of the provincial Games in February.

It’s not just cross-country skiing that’s affected. The St. Cyr Trails Club also runs hiking, trail running, snowshoeing and ecological learning events for local schools. In recent years, the chalet became a hub for movie nights, ski lessons and kids warming up by the fire after time on the trails.

“For the club… really the chalet is the heart of it,” Lalonde said.

Brittani Dunsing, Games manager for the 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games, said the Games Council was devastated by the loss and noted that the club was always its first choice to host cross-country and Para Nordic.

“We approached the board and they were very excited to be a part of the Games and they put in a lot of work to get the trails ready,” she said.

For now, Dunsing said the council doesn’t have extra money to help rebuild because it needs to cover costs for all 16 sports first.

“We have to focus on our operational budget. We have to make sure that we can run the Games before we can distribute excess funds towards legacy items and projects like the chalet,” she said.

Still, she hopes sponsorship will help.

“As we’re in the sponsorship phase right now, getting provincial, federal and community sponsorship, if we have the excess funds, we will definitely try our best to allocate funds towards the chalet as it is a huge legacy piece for the community to use in years to come,” Dunsing said.

If needed, a temporary shelter could be an option.

“In the past Games there has been a temporary shelter put in place…tents with some propane heaters, so that is definitely an option,” Dunsing said.

The fire occurred early on May 22. The Meadow Lake Fire Department responded to the fire, which destroyed the building. (St Cyr Trails Club – Meadow Lake/Facebook)

Meanwhile, volunteers are clearing the site and considering ready-to-move options to rebuild — something simple enough to go up quickly but still serve as a gathering place.

“With the fundraising constraints and then also with time constraints because we don’t have a few years to build a facility, there is quite a short timeline,” Lalonde said.

To keep costs realistic, the club is looking at basic designs with few extras — no plumbing or wiring — that can be put together with help from local contractors and volunteers.

The club estimates it has about 20 dedicated volunteers, but more hands will be needed to get ready for the Games. Lalonde said they’re planning a GoFundMe campaign and will reach out to local businesses for support.

“Any donations, any fundraising for the chalet, we would absolutely love to show our appreciation in any way that we can, including having it recognized on the building itself,” she said.

The St. Cyr Trails Club will post updates about its plans and fundraising efforts on social media in the months ahead.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com