New Members Welcome

Welcome to CADS at Calabogie – we are excited about adaptive skiing and snowboarding and look forward to meeting you.

CADS stands for Canadian Association of Disabled Skiing but we like to thinking of ourselves as an Adaptive Ski Centre of Excellence.

Our mission is to be safe and to have fun on the snow and to provide an excellent learning experience.  How our program works is that we run a seven week teaching session each Sunday from the Centre of Excellence at Calabogie Peaks.  We pair our students/athletes with Instructors and they have an outstanding time together exploring how to develop their skills out on the hill.

We have a variety of tools available to us and a state of the art equipment room which we take pride in. Each year we review our safety training; offer a tethering clinic and sit-ski techniques with our CADS instructors. We emphasis ongoing training of our instructors and they hold certifications recognized by the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiing.  We are proud to develop both our students and instructors.

Sunday Program
We work with individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities and those who have been injured .  We welcome everyone to participate in our program and do our very best to make sure our partnering of instructors to students/athletes have exceptional results.  Many of our students and athletes come back year after year and our bond and the experiences keep on getting better.

The program is divided into a Sunday morning, 10:00 to 12:00 session and a Sunday afternoon session from 1:00 to 3:00 as this allows us to be able to fully utilize our instructors and equipment.  Normally we have two designated CADS instructors assigned to each individual to help them develop and have fun on the slopes.

Winter Sports Clinic
We work with Veteran’s Affairs to put on a week long program with rehabilitating veterans.

The event is an incredible experience and what you take away is pure amazement and appreciation for how inspiring these individuals are.  Did we mention fun?  There is a schedule of daily events including breakfast, lunch and dinner, a full day of skiing, yoga, massage therapy, and après ski activities including sledge hockey and a banquet.

Community Living Day
Each year we work with the Community Living Group and have such a great time with the students.  We are always on the lookout for new volunteers and enjoy ourselves having fun on the hill.  It is a day on the slopes with individuals who don’t normally get to participate in our regular program.

School Program
We provide assistance to Calabogie Peak’s ski school by providing training for individuals with special needs.  It allows them to be a part of a regular school outing and that is so empowering for them.  It is great that they are not left behind but a part of the action out on the hill.

Each year we provide two days of training for new and returning instructors.  We work on building up our instructors so that they are comfortable working with their students.  We also pair instructors so that they have the benefit of an experienced teacher with them to gain insight on how to handle adaptive skiing experiences.

We offer a tethering program for both stand-up and sit-ski instructors and bring in additional instructors from surrounding areas and programs.  We have had excellent results partnering with the Three track programs from Southern Ontario.

CADS offers specific training that fits the needs of the program and certification levels such as Level 1, 2, 2A, and 3.

All geared to provide expertise in teaching techniques and for strengthening skill levels and confidence.  This training is linked to the CSIA methodology and is a blend of teaching skills.

We also support the obtainment of CSIA levels of teaching and encourage our instructors to obtain certification in either or both teachings.  All of a benefit when out on the hill.

So do you think you want to have fun this winter? Check us out on Facebook, email or call us and find out more before the snow starts to fly.

With thanks,

Raymond Blimkie

Registration & Special Events Coordinator CADS

Calabogie Peaks Adaptive Ski Program