The snowfall and cold weather of the past few days has allowed tourist resorts across the province to begin preparing for the ski season, which for most will begin in one to three weeks.
“We are really excited and the ski enthusiasts too. Since the storm […], everyone writes to us to find out when we open! says Luc St-Jacques, general manager of the Massif du Sud tourist resort, in Chaudière-Appalaches.
This enthusiasm has been felt everywhere in the province’s ski centers for the past few days. Last week’s heavy snowfall – and the mercury which has remained quite low since then – allowed the majority of tourist resorts to start up their snow cannons.
Sommet Saint-Sauveur in the Laurentians and Mont Miller in Gaspésie have even already opened up a few trails to pass holders this weekend.
Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
The Saint-Bruno ski resort, in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, in Montérégie, will welcome skiers in a few days.
Promising weather
However, the majority of skiers will have to wait another one to three weeks before hitting their favorite mountain.
“We were able to recover quickly from the mild autumn weather and we have some nice [journées] cold and precipitation in front of us, but we are still missing a few centimeters,” said Nadya Baron, marketing director at Mont Sutton, in Montérégie.
Environment Canada predicts temperatures ranging between -1°C and -5°C across the province by Wednesday, with cooler nights where the mercury will drop to -17°C, depending on the sector.
A few snow showers are also forecast for the start and end of the week, much to the delight of winter sports enthusiasts.
Photo QMI Agency, Marcel Tremblay
A continuing trend
All the organizations contacted by The newspaper expects another good season in terms of ridership, despite some rate increases attributed to rising labor costs.
For many, the enthusiasm observed during the pandemic, which prompted more than one to equip themselves to better enjoy the mountains, has not yet faded.
“It’s the first time in several years that we’ve had a pre-sale of subscriptions and we’ve had a really good response, so we expect people to come to the meeting,” says Mélanie Morneau, door- floor of the Le Relais ski center in Lac-Beauport.
Planned opening of a few ski resorts
Saint-Sauveur Summit (Laurentians)
- November 18 (for members)
Mount Miller (Gaspesie)
- November 19 (for members)
Mont Tremblant Resort (Laurentians)
Stoneham Tourist Resort (National Capital)
Saint Bruno (Monteregie)
Mount Sainte-Anne (National Capital)
Mont-Blanc Skiing (Laurentians)
Massif of Charlevoix (National Capital)
Bromont (Estrie)
Le Relais ski resort (National Capital)
- 1st week of December
South Massif (Chaudiere-Appalaches)
Mount Sutton (Monteregie)