Cooper Legler, a Grade 11 student at Rossland’s Seven Summits Centre for Learning, is helping to make extensive repairs to the Timing Hut at Black Jack Ski Club.
Legler has undertaken the project to help complete his Eagle Scout badge with the Boy Scouts of America and to give back to the local ski community. He’s also a member of the club and competes in cross country skiing races.
Legler has gotten 30 people to help him restore the hut by talking to them in person or by getting their information on a Google Docs sheet that he put up online.
The team was amazed by all the damage in the hut when they began the restoration project two months ago.
“When we went inside, we found mice, ant and wasps nests and wood rotting in a number of locations,” said Legler.
“There was also a lot of electrical problems and the hut could’ve burnt down if it caught onto the wood.”
The team went to work shortly after and removed all of the items, nests and rotting wood from the hut and installed new support beams underneath the floor and along the sides of the roof to stabilize it during construction.
Moving forward, new vinyl flooring and a heater will soon be installed to ensure the hut remains warm in the winter.
On the outside of the building, the team will replace worn out shingles with ranch wall siding and will sand and paint it to make the hut look like new.
New windows will also be installed around the hut. One of the two doors at the hut will be replaced with a large glass window to improve visibility for people watching ski races from inside.
The new window will make it easier for people inside to record the times of ski racers as they finish their races next to the hut.
The team will be completing most of the remaining portions of the project this upcoming weekend.
To help finance the project, Legler raised $1,600 by putting up a GoFundMe page online. The team has been resourceful and plans to keep the project within budget.
“People have been amazing in donating money and helping us to complete the work,” said Legler.
The project is expected to be completed early in October.
Legler said the project has given him valuable life skills as he works to complete his Eagle Scouts badge.
“This project has been amazing. I’ve put a lot of work into this and it’s been really nice meeting other people by working on this project,” said Legler.
“It feels like I’ve accomplished something that will have a meaningful impact for the community.”
Legler will be a third generation Eagle Scout in his family after he obtains the badge.
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