The cold snap that has been raging in Quebec since Thursday evening is forcing skiers and other winter activities enthusiasts to reconsider their plans for the next few days. Several ski resorts will remain closed until Saturday, and some events, including the Quebec Winter Carnival and Ottawa-Gatineau Winterlude, have been postponed.
The Estrie, Laurentides and Capitale-Nationale regions are the most affected by ski center closures. Several stations that are closing explain that their decision was made based on the “extreme cold” warning issued by Environment Canada, in effect for all southern regions of the province on Friday.
National Capital
This is the case of the Stoneham station, near Quebec, which announced on Facebook that it would close its trails for the whole day on Friday and that it would “closely follow the weather forecast for Saturday in order to prepare the corresponding operation plan”. However, the Saturday “Sliding School” lessons have already been postponed to March 11.
Le Mont-Sainte-Anne, a property of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), the same operator as Stoneham, posted the exact same message. The Massif de Charlevoix shared a similar opinion and does not report any weekend closures for the moment, given that “the temperature is expected to be milder for Saturday and Sunday”.
Estrie
In Estrie, the Bromont station indicates that it will close its doors until Saturday, 10 a.m., and that its Saturday classes have been postponed to March 4. The event After ski where Jay Scott and Koriass were to perform on stage, has meanwhile been postponed to February 25. Mount Owl’s Head, near Lake Memphremagog, will be closed until at least Sunday morning.
Laurentians
Sommet Olympia, in the Laurentians, closed since Friday, will also close its slopes for the whole day on Saturday, as well as Sommet Gabriel and Chanteclerc station, among others. Mont Blanc, also closed since Friday, will open “gradually” on Saturday morning and will cancel certain courses.
The two most important centers in the Laurentians, Station Mont Tremblant and Sommet Saint-Sauveur, remain open with modified schedules.
Changes to the Quebec Carnival
Even if we are used to participating in very cold weather, the largest winter festival in the world has also had to modify its programming in these exceptional circumstances.
The “Électro Frette” opening night, which was to be held on Friday, has been moved to Sunday at 7 p.m. The management of the event, however, affirms that the regular activities will start all the same, as of Saturday, at 10 am, on the three main sites.
Various outdoor activities throughout Quebec could also experience disruptions. In Gatineau and Ottawa, all outdoor activities planned for Winterlude have been postponed or cancelled.
In Montreal, the Igloofest festival has not changed its schedule. “We had to break a cold record for our 15th anniversary! Today you will witness the coldest Igloofest event ever “, indicates the organization, on its Facebook page. It is recommended to dress “like the Michelin man” to fully enjoy the festival.