Optimist Hill ChaletSaskatoon, SK
Explore ProjectSaskatoon had a vision to “build a hill” in the middle of its city to be used by snowboarders, skiers, and tubers. 3twenty took the opportunity to give back to the community with a $100,000 donation to the project to establish a chalet space at Optimist Hill.
Project Summary
The Optimist Club of Saskatoon had a vision to support recreational skiing and snowboarding by adding 30 vertical feet to Diefenbaker Hill, now known as Optimist Hill. The vision included two magic carpet ski lifts, tubing lanes, a terrain park for snowboarders, and a village area. In this space, visitors could buy lift tickets, warm up with hot chocolate, gather for lessons, and rent equipment.
To move the project forward, the organization launched a $3,000,000 capital campaign. The campaign raised enough funding to build the hill. However, a funding gap remained for a permanent building that the community could use. As a result, the Optimist Hill Campaign Co-Chairs initially reached out to 3twenty to rent office trailers from the rental division as temporary structures. We didn’t think that was good enough.
Instead, 3twenty proposed designing and building a small-scale chalet. The goal was to create a permanent, modern, and functional building with architectural interest. With a limited budget in mind, 3twenty also contributed a donation of more than $100,000 to the project. In addition, the team added two rental offices and converted them into rental shacks. Together, these elements now form what is known as the 3twenty Village at Optimist Hill.
