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By Martha Briggs Watson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In the early 1930s there was discussion in Huntsville\u2019s Town Council to promote tourism in winter, the first community in Ontario to actively do so. It was decided that a winter sports program would be developed.<\/p>\n The flamboyant mayor, J. Frank Kelly, was most enthusiastic. He declared that Huntsville would run ‘Old Man Depression’ out of town. The idea was approved by Parks Commissioner Charles Paget. The Canadian National Railway provided adequate transportation on a special ski train at a special cost of one cent per mile.<\/p>\n The Huntsville Ski Club was formed in 1932. It was stated that the instigation of the formation of the club came from Paul Rice (then-editor of the Huntsville Forester) and Bruce Simmons. These two gentlemen played hockey together and Bruce suggested that they were getting too old to play hockey and suggested that a ski club be started!<\/p>\n Greg Clark, well-known journalist with the Toronto Daily Star, had just returned from the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and he compared Huntsville favourably to that setting. He was a great promoter of the Huntsville club.<\/p>\n Bruce West, a Huntsville native and journalist for the Globe and Mail, was a great proponent for the ski club as well.<\/p>\n The first honorary president was Robert James Hutcheson, (grandfather of Bob Hutcheson). Bruce Simmons was the first president. One of the officers was Harold Briggs, father of my sister Jane (Briggs) Van Buskirk and me. He was secretary\/treasurer and editor of the weekly newsletter, “The Ski Itch (Let Somebody Catch It Off You)”, which included mostly humorous stories about events that had happened, as well as upcoming ones.<\/p>\n That year, a ski trail named My Mistake began at the top of the Lookout Hill and ran all the way onto Fairy Lake.<\/p>\n\n\t\t