Ski season 2023-2024 | Something new on the slopes

A refuge activity for many athletes during the pandemic, alpine skiing continues its momentum and remains more popular than ever. And the various stations in Quebec are investing again this year to maintain this renewed popularity.

Sustained popularity

Last season, nearly 6.6 million ski days were recorded in Quebec ski resorts. “This represents an increase of 5% compared to last year, it was our best season in the last 16 years,” tells us Sophie Leblanc-Leroux, digital communications coordinator for the Association of Ski Resorts of the Quebec.

It’s snowing !

With global warming threatening to shorten ski seasons in Quebec, several resorts here are betting on improving their artificial snow operations. In the Laurentians, this is the case for Mont-Blanc as well as the Sommets of the Saint-Sauveur valley, while similar improvements have also been made in Garceau and Val Saint-Côme, in Lanaudière.

The Eastern Townships are not left out: Mont Orford will have a new pump and new fixed snow cannons, same thing in Sutton, Bromont will add numerous fans and fixed cannons, including 17 on the slope. Spruces.

New playgrounds

Bromont has made numerous efforts to develop the Épinettes slope, which will now be served by a detachable quadruple chairlift which will almost double the lift capacity. A new slope will be built under the chairlift while others will now be lit and covered with artificial snow. Elsewhere in Estrie, Owl’s Head will benefit from improvements in its numerous snow parks. In Center-du-Québec, Mont Gleason has also created a new snow park, in addition to adding an alpine hiking trail.

Further east, new off-piste ski areas and a new micro-chalet accommodation offer are available in the Massif du Sud, while a new reception chalet, a new learning area and new offers Coolbox accommodations have been set up at the Mont Adstock recreational tourism station. In Bas-Saint-Laurent, new Coolboxes are also open to visitors at Mont-Saint-Mathieu park, which will also have a new snow groomer.

In Saguenay, Valinouët is adding two undergrowth areas while in Mauricie, Vallée du Parc is opening three snow parks and a new family entertainment building. Finally, we complete the loop in the Laurentians and in Lanaudière with Vallée-Bleue, which has a new undergrowth, Mont Habitant with two new slopes, without forgetting Val Saint-Côme with a few new slopes and an ice rink at the foot of the slopes.

Initiation

As evidenced by the number of ski schools, new skiers are still there. “The schools are very popular, they actually suffer from a labor shortage,” says Sophie Leblanc-Leroux. We have implemented several actions to find new instructors, recruitment and promotion campaigns, in addition to approaches to instructor training associations. »

Skiing, everywhere

However, we are not slowing down efforts to attract young people to the pleasures of skiing, with the sale of Ski Passe-Partout tickets helping to introduce more than 30,000 children to skiing and snowboarding free of charge thanks to the Experience Maneige replacement programs. , Iniski and Inisurf at school as well as the Snowboard Tour in schools. Sold for $50, the Ski Passe-Partout ticket allows fans to benefit from five 30% discounts in any resort in Quebec, except the Massif de Charlevoix. “In addition, the ticket is now equipped with RFID technology, so skiers will be able to complete their transaction online and go directly to the ski lifts in 21 participating resorts,” says Sophie Leblanc-Leroux. Elsewhere, you have to go through the counter to have the ticket barcode scanned. »

Mont-Tremblant at the top

Mont-Tremblant is one of the resorts adding RFID terminals in front of its chairlifts this year. An addition which will certainly contribute to maintaining the rank of the Laurentides resort, which tops the ski centers in Quebec in the recent rankings of the Wall Street Journal. Tremblant ranks 66^e row, in front of Mont-Sainte-Anne (87^e) and the Massif de Charlevoix (96^e). Whistler-Blackcomb tops the rankings, which are based on snow accumulation, ski area and après-ski activities. Lake Louise, Alberta, and Big White, British Columbia, are the other Canadian stations that appear in the top 25 of the rank.