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Our

Scale of Impact

6,900

Teaching hours each season

250

Volunteers

50+

Years of delivering adaptive snow sports

1000's

Smiles every year

Our

Mission & Values

Discovering Ability through the Freedom of Adaptive Sports

The Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association, is an inclusive volunteer, non-profit charitable organization that teaches children and youth with disabilities alpine sports. The name “Track3” comes from the three tracks left in the snow by an amputee skiing with one ski and two outriggers. Ontario Track3 began at a single Collingwood location assisting a small number of young amputees and has since grown to a provincial registered charity with nine host locations, more than a dozen programs, and two regional affiliates in Kitchener and London, Ontario. We help children and youth each year with a wide variety of cognitive and physical disabilities.
Inclusion. Ability. Freedom.

Our mission is to change lives by serving young athletes, their families and the broader community with empowering adaptive sports experiences.
Celebrating our Fifty Year History

Track3 is a story of success. Success not only for its growth over the last 50 years but for the thousands of young people with varying disabilities, who, through the challenge of skiing and snowboarding, have discovered that despite their disability, they could live an active and full life.

Track3 was established in 1972 when a few students with amputations took to the slopes with second-hand equipment. The name Track3 was derived from there, as there were three tracks left in the snow- one ski and two outriggers. The program was funded by Doug Keary and Earling Morris alongside a dedicated group of volunteers and the Easter Seal Society. Doug and Earling put in so many volunteer hours to get Track3 off the ground and discovered the equipment that allowed the students to ski was genius and wrapped with engineering marvel. The perseverance of both men was incredible. Up until five or so years ago, Doug Keary was still involved with Track3 at the age of 93. Still putting forth his great ideas and ways to accommodate these special kids. He created training manuals, programs, protocols and space for many children and youth with disabilities to participate on the hill. They had some great volunteers to support them and some of those are still involved with the program today.

Since the program proved so successful to amputee youngsters, it was not long before those with other disabilities were introduced to the program. Once instructor-training methods were developed to teach these skiers, they too began to benefit. In 1987, Doug Keary and a group of volunteers involved with Track3, decided to separate from the Easter Seal Society, and incorporate as the "Ontario Track 3 Ski Association for the Disabled'' now formally Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association. Our mandate became to provide the best possible program for youngsters with disabilities, using only current ski and snowboard equipment and fully trained and qualified instructors, support staff and ski technicians.” To further this goal, Track3 created a Board of Directors, charged with keeping the organization financially viable and finding ways to successfully continue.

Over the years, Track3 has more than met its mandate. The organization has developed a training system with detailed manuals that correspond to a graded instructor training program. Track3 has its own trained, experienced course conductors to help enable new volunteers to work with the children on the hill. Each year on average, close to 80 recruits receive level one training, and 30 or more instructors strive for level 2 and 3 certifications. Although we are fortunate enough each year to recruit new volunteers, we also, for various reasons i.e. work, family, school etc. lose some volunteers. Each year we try to maintain and expand our volunteer base. This sometimes presents a lot of challenges but we always seem to continue to move forward. Coming into the 2023 season, we have a waitlist of over 150 students waiting anxiously to hit the slopes. Unfortunately, we cannot currently welcome these children into the program.

It is now almost 20 years since Track3 stepped out on its own, working with skiers and snowboarders with a wide variety of physical and mental disabilities. The program has grown so much that new ski schools had to be developed. Over 300 volunteers actively participate in these programs, to ensure that the students get the best instruction we can provide. With their ongoing support and the addition of new and energetic volunteers, Track3 can look to the future with such optimism!

Risk Management and Governance

Policies

Ontario Track3 is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who set policy standards for our organization. Our most recent policies are available for review HERE. Contact our Office Administrator or Fundraising Coordinator for a copy of our By-laws, Accessibility, Privacy, Code of Conduct, Screening, Graduation and Safety Policies. Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association is a registered non-profit charity.
Fiscal Year End and AGM

Our fiscal year-end is April 30. Our most recent Annual General Meeting took place on October 13, 2022. Visit the Canada Revenue Agency website to review our profile.
Rowan's Law - Concussions

Rowan's Law came into effect on July 1st, 2019. Link HERE to see what this policy means for Track3 members.

Our Motto: Safety,

Fun, and Learning

Stay Updated

Membership in Track3

Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association is a volunteer-based charity enabling kids (between the ages of 6 to 19) with disabilities to discover their confidence, develop their talents and achieve their potential through the magic of snow sports.

For five decades, Ontario Track3 has served as the only provincial organization dedicated to long-term adaptive alpine sports programs for children with disabilities. We serve hundreds of children and youth each year with a wide variety of cognitive and physical disabilities.

Qualified adaptive volunteer instructors use specialized training and adaptive equipment to remove barriers that Track3 kids experience in their daily lives. We deliver programs that enable each child to achieve physical, personal and social development.
Track3 Today

Ontario Track3 Adaptive Sports Association is a volunteer-based charity enabling kids (between the ages of 6 to 19) with disabilities to discover their confidence, develop their talents and achieve their potential through the magic of snow sports.

For more than five decades, Ontario Track3 has served as the only provincial organization dedicated to long-term adaptive alpine sports programs for children with disabilities. We serve hundreds of children and youth each year with a wide variety of cognitive and physical disabilities.

Qualified adaptive volunteer instructors use specialized training methods and adaptive equipment to remove barriers that Track3 kids experience in their daily lives. We deliver programs that enable each child to achieve physical, personal and social development.

Meet Our

Board of Directors

Ontario Track3 is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who offer their time and talents. Each and every one of them bring a unique set of skills and expertise to our organization.

Paul Rogers

Paul is a certified CSIA instructor and has been with Track3 as an instructor/ Course Conductor with a sit-ski specialty since 2002; serving on fundraising and technical training committees. Paul and his wife Leslie have been active members of the volunteer community for the duration of his tenure. Paul’s professional experience focuses primarily on financial services where he’s worked in a range of roles for world class companies including Visa, AmEx, RBC and Payments Canada; who are our country’s national payment system operator. Paul is an Ivey School of Business graduate from UWO. He was first elected 2019 to serve as President & Board Chair and is now Past President

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