Prince Albert left out of Canadian Challenge
For the second year in a row, contenders in the Canadian Challenge Dog Sled Race will depart from Elk Ridge rather than Prince Albert.
Race President Stefaan De Marie said a lack of qualified volunteers to safely control road crossings meant the start of the Feb. 20 race was moved further north to Elk Ridge. Last year’s competition also started from Elk Ridge due to a lack of snow around the city.
“In the best interest of mushers and dogs, we decided to start at Elk Ridge,” De Marie said. “During the February break there’s a lot of people staying there, and we have lots of people coming to the start line.”
While it’s too late to volunteer in Prince Albert, De Marie said volunteers are still needed to help out in the La Ronge area. He said there are still spots open to work various checkpoints, which involves recording arrival and departure times as well as monitoring the well-being of the dogs.