Co-op Community Champion: Christine Kress

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Christine Kress has been selected as September’s Co-op Community Champion for her work with the Whiskey Jack Nordic Ski Club, where she serves as the skills development program coordinator, a board member and a coach. 

However, Christine wanted to make sure to highlight the entire Whiskey Jack team of five board members and around ten coaches for the constant work they put in for the club. 

The small team is working hard to continue growing the club, especially after taking a hit to their membership and executive team due to the pandemic. This season, the club is also hoping to take a group of kids to a race event at some point and is hoping to throw a fundraiser at some point in the future to do so.

“I work with a team of community heroes. Our board and coaching team are amazing, and each of them should be recognized as well,” said Christine.

The Kress family was introduced to the club at a free trial day eight years ago to actually start embracing the winter, something they weren’t as used to being from southern B.C.

“I did not grow up in the north. I grew up where we had three months of winter, which I felt like was sufficient.” 

“Being a mom of four young kids, I actually loathed winter come March. I would leave for about three weeks at a time and go with my parents.”

As soon as the family got into their van following the trial day, one of her kids said, “That was the best day of my life.” 

However, they couldn’t join the program as it was already underway, and they were unable to join based on how it was structured, so they had to wait until the following year.

“As soon as registration started in September, We registered our kids.”

Christine and her husband both enjoy the outdoors and thought the club was a great way to introduce their kids to that lifestyle and “keep them off the screens.”

Initially, the family was involved in multiple sports, but over the years, they pared it down to cross-country skiing over the years. The main reason behind that decision was due to the kid’s lessons being at the same time and cross-country skiing being a family sport.

“That’s one of the things that I love about the club. We have a very different culture that way, where we really try to nurture family. So that’s why we don’t split, we all go out.”

Each parent is required to volunteer for the club after signing up their child, but Christine couldn’t do much the first year as she had to take care of her ten-month-old.

“It was very hard for me to step in. I helped where I could, I was like, the [person who handed out] hot chocolate.”

That changed the following year after it was suggested Christine take a coaching course based on her experience as a teacher by trade. 

“It gave me a very good concept of what should have been needed to be happening within the program. Like any volunteer-run organization, there were gaps.”

She took the course, and by the end of the year, she had stepped into the coordinator position after two people had stepped down.

As the coordinator, Christine handles registration, parent communication and organizing classes and coaches.

“I’m pouring into something that’s for it’s for the community, but it’s also partly for my family.”

Christine is also heavily involved in the home learning community as a North Peace Educators Association board member. 

Christine says she is invested in volunteering in the community, adding that she has her hands in other different initiatives.

“I grew up in a small town where the only events, sports or activities happening were because of volunteers. My parents and grandparents contributed to the community as volunteers in a large way.” 

“I remember, as a teen, when I was encouraged to pitch in by my parents. My dad would always say, ‘10 per cent of the people do 90 per cent of the work, Christine. Be that 10 per cent’ — he was right. I have learned the significance of how that 10 per cent helps the community thrive, and I want to forever be a part of that.”

Prior to staying at home to teach her kids, Christine and her family came to Fort St. John 18 years ago after she got a job with School District 60. She previously taught at Buick Creek Elementary and Duncan Cran Elementary.

For more information on Whiskey Jack, visit its Facebook page.

For more information on the North Peace Home Educators Association, click here.

Congratulations to Christine Kress for being named September’s Co-op Community Champion.

Anyone looking to nominate a community-minded person in need of recognition can head to Energeticcity’s website.