In hopes of hosting the national cross country ski championships two years from now, the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club is planning substantial upgrades to its trails.

Club manager Corinna Warren said this morning the International Ski Federation has changed its standards for hosting major events like the Haywood Nationals.

The club hosted the Haywood Nationals in 2016 and in 2010 but the FIS has since changed the standards.

“Our certification is expiring next year so we would not be able to apply for this race,” Warren said.

She said while there will be quite a bit of work required to come into compliance with the new standards, the work only covers about 10 per cent of the Mount McIntyre trail network.

A committee of club volunteers has been planning the necessary upgrades for the last two years, in conjunction with national representatives, engineers, local user groups and the like, she said

“It’s been a long process just to get to this point.”

Warren explained the new standards, for instance, establish wider trail widths for sections where the grade of the slope is a certain degree.

In addition to the regular volunteer work that will be required, there will need to be some people hired and other expenses such as moving the location of light poles along certain sections of trail, she explained.

Warren estimated the total project cost will be in the neighbourhood of $200,000, including in-kind contributions from local business and organizations. Additional funding will be sought through grants from the Community Development Fund and such, she explained.

For the Whitehorse club, she said, hosting the Haywood Championships is a means of promoting the sport in the community, she said.

Warren said an economic impact study by Sport Yukon showed the 2016 championships resulted in a $2 million injection into the local economy.

It’s estimated there were 480 skiers, another 80 or so coaches and support staff and somewhere between 100 and 200 family members who visited Whitehorse for the championships, she said.

The club has filed a project proposal with the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board. Members of the public have until Feb. 19 to provide comments.

The proposal calls for widening 9.4 kilometres of trail from an average of five metres wide to six metres for 6.35 kilometres, to 7.5 metres along 1.6 kilometres and to nine metres along 1.45 kilometres.

The proposal calls for 81 metres of new trail, as well as relocating light poles along some sections.

The organic waste will be chipped and used as fill and cover along the trails and timber will be stacked and made available to the public, says the proposal.