Bright winter forecasts buoy ski resort hopes

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MONTREAL — Kendra Scurfield sees white from base to peak.

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“It is full-on winter wonderland down right here,” mentioned the Banff Sunshine Village vice-president, talking from the ski resort’s essential lodge late final month.

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“On my method to the mountain there have been a number of younger 20-year-olds snowboarding down the road to get to the bus cease.”

Amid an onslaught of early snow, the Rockies resort loved its earliest seasonal opening in additional than 4 a long time, firing up its lifts and groomers on Nov. 2. Whistler Blackcomb in B.C., Lake Louise in Alberta and Mont Tremblant and Saint Sauveur in Quebec have all opened their gates as properly.

Ski resort operators are gearing up for a snowy yr on the slopes, with climate and client demand forecasts vibrant within the face of a warming planet and cost-of-living issues.

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Blasts of frigid Arctic air may ship the mercury plunging in December and herald the arrival of a extra “conventional Canadian winter,” based on Doug Gillham, a meteorologist on the Weather Network, which launched its seasonal outlook final week.

Most of Canada is anticipated to see near- or colder-than-normal temperatures, and near- or above-normal precipitation and snow, acknowledged the community’s forecast for December, January and February.

In Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Mont Sutton has already collected greater than 60 centimetres of snow. “It’s actually distinctive,” mentioned spokeswoman Lydia Lyonnais.

Season move gross sales are up 10 per cent from the identical time final yr, whereas gear leases rose 39 per cent, she mentioned.

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Across areas, demand appears as sturdy as a backwoods snowboard.

“There’s nonetheless a powerful urge for food,” mentioned Canadian Ski Council CEO Paul Pinchbeck. “So we’re feeling actually good.”

The home market grows one to 2 per cent a yr — “not vastly,” however properly in comparison with many markets, he mentioned.

Skiers shun U.S. locations

Part of the larger uptick in bookings this yr comes as Canadians proceed to spurn the U.S. amid the tariff warfare and a steep alternate price (the loonie is value about 71 cents US).

“We have seen individuals which may normally go to the States opting to come back to Canada or keep in Canada,” mentioned Scurfield, whose household has owned Sunshine Village since 1981.

Meanwhile, the quantity of skiers from down south has not dipped, whereas these from abroad — Australia, Germany and the U.Ok., particularly — have are available in larger numbers, based on the ski council. The similar upswing occurred after U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to his first time period in 2016, Pinchbeck added.

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‘It’s a dear sport’

However, the rising price of residing implies that worth hikes over the previous 5 years may deter some skiers, and edge others out of the pastime totally.

A single-day elevate ticket at Whistler Blackcomb can prime $300. It prices about $200 when bought onsite at Panorama Mountain Resort within the excessive season. In Quebec’s Charlevoix area, le Massif expenses as much as $170. A season move can simply prime $1,000.

“For certain it’s a dear sport,” mentioned Catherine Lacasse, a spokeswoman for Mont Tremblant in Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains.

Cheaper charges on tickets, season passes and lodging can be found within the autumn, or typically by paying the day earlier than.

Changing demographics

Then there’s the broader notion of snowboarding because the area of sure demographics.

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“In the previous we’ve been fairly rightly portrayed as a largely male, largely Caucasian sport,” mentioned Pinchbeck.

“I’m glad to say that’s altering” — particularly at resorts nearer to huge cities. Roughly 1 / 4 of Ontario skiers come from “various backgrounds,” he mentioned.

In common, older generations tended to furnish extra devoted skiers, with youthful shredders hitting the hill fewer instances per yr, he mentioned.

“People have extra to do,” Pinchbeck mentioned. “Generational tastes are altering …. We want a number of additional millennials for each boomer or gen Xer that leaves.”

That’s additionally as a result of child boomers and era Xers shell out extra per go to than their much less prosperous youngsters, added Scurfield.

To stoke loyalty and lock in predictable earnings, ski resorts have turned more and more to season and multi-resort passes. Some hills draw roughly half of their income from season passes, Pinchbeck mentioned. But one other path to profitability lies off-hill _ and within the low season.

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“The largest methods that I’ve seen deployed during the last 15 to twenty years have been the rise of multi-season ski areas,” he mentioned.

In Collingwood, Ont., Blue Mountain Resort has remodeled its choices from primarily snowboarding and {golfing} into an unlimited array of eating places, bars, clothes retailers, a mountaintop skating loop, a treetop high-ropes course and a “mountain-coaster,” all anchored by a Swiss-style procuring village.

“Not all people desires to ski eight hours a day,” mentioned Tara Lovell, a supervisor at Blue Mountain.

“If you’re attempting it for the primary time, you aren’t prone to spend all day on the market and also you’ll need to have an expertise you’d need to return to by having fun with apres-(ski), or going to the new tub after utilizing muscle mass it’s possible you’ll by no means have used earlier than.”

It’s not all enjoyable and snowflakes. Mountains outfitted with snow weapons — Blue Mountain has practically 1,000 — stay on the mercy of the Mother Nature.

Revelstoke mentioned in an electronic mail final week it was “urgent pause” on its deliberate Nov. 29 opening resulting from meagre early-season snowfall.

“That’s the difficult factor with snowboarding. You are so depending on the climate. You by no means actually know when and the way it’s going to fall,” mentioned Lyonnais.

“You simply hope for the very best.”

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