The internationally sanctioned competition, the 2017 IFSS Winter Sleddog World Championship will take place on Canadian soil, in a year that celebrates Canada’s 150thanniversary, from January 24 to February 1, 2017. It will be hosted by Canada’s first-ever FSC certified forest,Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve, which consists of a breathtaking environmentally protected landscape on 100,000 pristine acres of wilderness terrain that is centrally located in Ontario, Canada.
The 2017 IFSS Winter Sleddog World Championship brings together athletes from across the globe with a focus on extreme disciplines such as: Skijoring, Pulka and Dog Sledding. It is estimated the event will boast approximately 1,200 dogs, 150 teams, and competitors from 20 countries.
A Short History of the IFSS
IFSS held the first World Championships in Saint Moritz, Switzerland, in 1990. Since 1995, this event has been held every two years. Mid-distance sled events were first included in the 2001 World Championships taking place in Michigan, USA. The Winter Sleddog World Championships were last hosted in Canada in 2009 in Daaquam, Quebec.
Bringing the IFSS Winter Sleddog World Championship to Haliburton Forest’s 400 square kilometers holds other benefits for this sport and the fans it draws. Haliburton Forest has adopted an ecological sustainability model to rebuild the forest to its original glory. The company’s revenues are equally generated by sustainable forest management and low-impact ecotourism. Visitors to this area can witness first-hand the breakthroughs in forestry management and conservation while enjoying a world-class event.