Mike Horn (left), chief organizer of the Pine Needle Mountain Bike Festival, presents Deputy Mayor Don Cody with a cheque. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Bright future

New LED lights for Little Red trail

Oct 24, 2019 | 5:14 PM

Evening skis at Little Red River Park this winter will be a little brighter and much more environmentally-friendly.

The 101 halogen lights along the River Trail and around the lodge have been replaced with new LED ones, thanks to a $18,565 donation from the Pine Needle Mountain Bike Festival.

The move is estimated to save the city around $5,000 a year in electricity bills.

The free annual festival is the largest mountain bike event in the province. Featuring a six-hour bike race, musical performances, and activities for kids, all of it takes place in Little Red River Park.

“We are very fortunate to have this park for everyone to use,” Mike Horn, the festival’s chief organizer told paNOW. “This is just a little way to help out.”

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According to Horn, more important than raising money for the park, the event is about promoting the space and getting more families out to enjoy it.

“People who visit our park from outside Prince Albert are blown away by what we have,” he said.

Horn who is also the president of the Prince Albert Ski Club said last year the group had a record approximately 330 members.

“Skiing is growing… and this way it just allows people to utilize the trails a little bit longer during the day,” he said.

In past years, Pine Needle has bought a new retaining wall, fire pits and a water fountain for the park.

Deputy Mayor Don Cody applauded Horn and his organization for their contributions to the park.

“As [Horn] has said many times, this park is not just for skiers, it’s for everyone,” Cody said. “And when I say everyone, I mean it, they come from all over the province to enjoy this park whether it’s in the summer or winter time. And you couldn’t enjoy it nearly as much if it wasn’t for this organization’s money and help to make it the way it is.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom