Blazing the Trail: Pioneers of Winter Recreation on PEI.

by Ian Scott, July 27, 2017

Over the last few years I spoke with people who had a connection to the early days of skiing on Prince Edward Island. As there has been little published on the history of winter recreation locally, this hopefully will be a chance to share a few of these stories.

James William "Bill" Profit 

Ron J. Profit who practices law in Charlottetown was raised in Summerside and recalled when his father, James William "Bill" Profit had a busy recreational woodwork shop behind the family home on Maple Ave. With few suppliers of skis locally, Bill began in the 1960's to manufacture wooden skis using a steamer box and press to shape the curved tips from steamed wood. Gradually when demand for metal edged skis arose, Bill acquired the necessary supplies to ensure his Island-built skis were metal edged as well. 

Without a commercial ski hill in PEI, adventure seeking skiers would hike up farm hills and ski down. The first ski lift appears to be the rope tow located in Clinton, PEI. The Clinton hill overlooking the Southwest River near New London had a lodge building already on it. Built for the summer hotel and restaurant trade, Allan Rankin, the son of the founder recalled, "Clinton Heights Motor Lodge was built and operated by my father, Robert H. Rankin. After retiring as a building contractor, he purchased land at Clinton and constructed the combined motor lodge, dining room, and lounge. He operated the facility for many years, together with the first downhill ski business on the Island. The dining room was well known across the Island. I worked at this tourism establishment during the summers, and rented skis there in the winter."

Clinton Heights Motor Lodge in 1970's

After the ski hill closed many people recall the restaurant and the continuing summer operation renamed the Clinton View Lodge. Eventually it changed from a tourist hotel to a community care facility and is currently known as Perrin's Clinton View Lodge.

13 of the 17-member PEI Ski Team headed to the 1971 Winter Canada Games in Saskatoon. Picture taken at Brookvale Ski Hill.

The Clinton Ski Hill operated by Robert Rankin and his family played a key role in building interest in the sport across the province at both the recreational and competitive levels. One the keenest skiers who became a leader in all aspects of the sport was Ken Judson. I enjoyed a lunch with Ken this summer and he was quick to credit all the others who helped to build the sport. He admired Mr. Rankin's vision and role in providing a location for Ken and his friends to learn the sport. As Ken had already organized a ski group in hopes of gaining group discounts, he was approached by sport organizer Charlie Ballem to get a local ski association recognized by the Canadian Ski Association in time to send a PEI team to the first Canada Games being held in Quebec City as part of Canada's Centennial celebrations in 1967. Ken Judson's efforts worked and the first nationally recognized ski organization on PEI was formalized with Team PEI trained and ready to compete in Quebec. It was a major step to have what were essentially recreational skiers compete with the best competitive skiers in Canada but as Judson recalled, "We learned a lot, in attending."

Ken knew that a bigger operation than the fun slope in Clinton was needed to develop the sport and he gathered a small group of Summerside residents who shared his interest. Besides himself they included three other men: Creelman MacArthur, Lloyd Miller, and Laurie Coles.

Ken Judson in 2017

Their first meeting led them to believe that a profitable business could be developed operating a large ski hill but by their second meeting they realized that as they all were busy with their own business interests that a non-profit approach was best so that young people and families would have access to a reasonably priced recreational activity. They determined early that it would be a full winter park, as they started their search for a suitable hill.

Having heard of some good hills in Central Queens Co., Ken decided to take a detour one day when headed to Charlottetown on a business trip. Heading inland from the Trans Canada Highway in Crapaud he soon found himself in Brookvale where he spotted a steep slope and he quickly turned onto a tiny logging road in his new Oldsmobile in hopes of exploring further. The woods road ended abruptly with nowhere to turn around, thus Judson had to back down the steep road in the rain. He continued on to Charlottetown where he was able to refer to a relief map to confirm elevations and decided to travel home the same route stopping at the nearest house to ask who owned the hilly woodlot. He obtained the name of the owner from a neighbour in Brookvale and reported back to his organizing team in Summerside.

Thus began the committee's effort to purchase the hill at Brookvale from the owner, Mrs. Rose Curley who initially had no interest in selling a part of her family's property. Mrs. Curley had a family of 13 to raise and didn't want to limit the family's options by selling a portion of their property. Ken realized her situation and was quick to point out the economic benefits for the local community, and local families seeking employment in the area. With a strong interest in seeing local employment options grow she agreed to sell the necessary land. The committee then concluded their work with a group decision by the four Summerside partners to develop the hill, and sign personal commitments for a loan of $30,000 with the provincial government providing a guarantee to the bank on the loan. The next stage in 1966 saw the clearing of the hill using logging horses and the help of Boy Scouts and other volunteers. Ken Judson and Lloyd Miller provided leadership with the daily operations getting the ski hill running with a rope tow in 1967. The hill opened on Jan 11, 1967 with the official ceremony on Jan 28^th of the same year. 

Ken Judson with Nancy Greene in 1968

While the initial plan was for the hill to be transferred to the Provincial Government the actual transfer was delayed and the Summerside group remained responsible for the operation. Eventually the bank account, loan payments and ownership was taken over by the PEI government in 1969 and Brookvale became an operational part of the provincial park system now known as Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park at Brookvale.

Ken Judson along with his family remained involved with the sport and Ken as a ski instructor and dealer for Salomon and Rossignol. He started travelling to the larger hills in New England and met with ski leaders like Canadian Olympian Nancy Greene. As a natural leader and promoter of the sport, Ken Judson played a key role in building organizations that have allowed families to enjoy skiing on PEI, and for young athletes to gain the skills necessary to compete nationally and internationally. 

Ken Judson with Nancy Greene 

Ken also recognized the early effort played by Judy (Archer) Irwin in establishing the first training programs for children at Brookvale under the Nancy Greene Ski League. While many others have carried on the ski and eventually snowboarding programs he credits Judy with the seminal role in getting things started and running things for the first five or six years. Judy initially began skiing at Brookvale and became an instructor so she could help others. She fondly recalled meeting Nancy Greene, when Nancy was on the Island.

Ken Judson and Tom Richardson both took Level II professional instructor training for adults in Nova Scotia to help out with adult programming. The training program for youth and adults developed over time with Nancy Greene lending her celebrity endorsement as well as an ongoing expertise and support for youth skiing across Canada. The ski school under Judy (Archer) Irwin gave skiers a solid start with safely as a key component instilled early. Many students who started as children in the program joined ski teams and saw their skills progress to the Canada Games level.

Another site which played an early role was Stratgartney Provincial Park which was the first park in 1958 within a growing provincial park system. A gift of Robert Lawson Cotton (1881-1968), the park was under the direction of Wendell Profitt (1922-2017), who was able to secure a motor for a movable rope tow which was installed on the hill during the 1960’s. 

Wendell Profitt
the first director of the PEI Provincial Parks,
at Strathgartney which was the first park in the system.
Photo - 2011 by Judy K. Profitt

As a forest engineer, Wendell had started the Provincial Forestry Nursery along with J. Frank Gaudet. It was with Wendell's appointment as the first director of provincial parks in 1958 that he was able to develop a network of parks and campgrounds across the Island and is referred to as the Pioneer of Provincial Parks. I recall standing on the top of the hill at Stratgartney in October 2011 with Wendell, enjoying its sweeping view as he outlined for me the area where the ski operation was based. Wendell's daughter Judy Profitt captures her father's legacy well at that time on Facebook:

"The Pioneer of PEI Provincial Parks - my Dad, Wendell Profitt....enjoying a trip down memory lane today at Strathgartney Park. Under his Directorship, work commenced at this site in January of 1958 with the park, PEI's FIRST Prov. Park, opening that July. This much-loved park developed over time and is still a very popular place for nature lovers, biologists, photographers, trail walkers, historians, picnickers, and so forth. Please join the growing movement to "Save Strathgartney Park!" from destruction as Government plans to decimate the park with a major TransCanada Highway construction project!"

In 2011 concern was mounting for Strathgartney as a major highway was planned to run through the middle of the park. Luckily the combined efforts of Wendell and others mobilized support to “Save Stratgartney” and government re-routed the highway around the park, eventually expanding parkland in the area and creating a four-season trail system that covers 25 kilometres in nearby Bonshaw Provincial Park.

Wendell Profitt at centre with Maria Profit, Andrew Scott, and Kinley Scott
(in carrier) on a hike at Strathgartney.  Wendell at at age 90 and Kinley at 3 weeks
were the oldest and youngest people on the hike and are also distant cousins.

Photo- 2011 by Judy K. Profitt 

This article covers several individuals who each played a significant role in the early development of winter recreational facilities on PEI and whose vision and quick action paved the way for the excellent facilities we now take for granted. It is meant as a companion article to two other articles which were issued by the Provincial Park system and which were copied intact from their original source to be hosted on this blog.

• Celebrating 50 years of fun in the snow! - History of Brookvale
• Brookvale Provincial Ski Park - 50 years of history!

Any corrections or additions are welcome.