BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report
Last Sunday’s snowfall put an end to the speculation over whether winter was actually going to show up this year, and it got skiers excited about hitting the slopes. But now, the question for the operator of the Mont Rigaud ski hill is: Will the rest of the winter make up for the slow start?
Although skiers were on the slopes at Mont Rigaud on Sunday as the snow fell at a gentle and steady pace, it was a different story just the day before. On Saturday, Jan. 6, there were a few skiers, but it was far from a busy Saturday.
“The weather is a major influencer,” said Luc Elie, the owner and general manager of Mont Rigaud. It has a major impact on the centre’s monetary performance, he explained.
Up until last Saturday, traffic on the 15 runs at Mont Rigaud was down substantially since the centre opened this season on Dec. 1, Elie said.
Although he did not have exact figures, he estimated the volume of skiers at the centre in each week throughout December and the first week of January was roughly the same as what the centre saw per day last season.
The number of season passes sold at the hill are down, too – by about 10 per cent, he said.
Elie said the centre has three key periods each winter season – the Christmas holidays, the eight weekends in January and February, and March break. So far, the Christmas holiday period has been a financial bust. But he is optimistic things will turn around.
“It’s part of the game,” he said. “March break might be excellent.”
Last year, the centre invested about $1 million in snow-making equipment, a move that has allowed Elie to ensure that just about all runs have a solid snow cover regardless of the amount of natural snow. All 15 trails down the mountain have been open since Jan. 1, he said, explaining that whenever there was a short cold snap, his crews were making snow and grooming the trails.
In December, however, the unseasonably mild temperatures meant the man-made snow kept melting.
But with the return of below-zero temperatures in January, the groomers have been able to keep a solid base on the hill. The only run that had not yet opened as of last week is the one that winds its way through a wooded area.
“We have had excellent conditions,” Elie said, referring to the performance of his new snow-making capabilities. But he concedes, when people do not have snow at home, they are not as inclined to think of heading to the slopes. He’s hoping that those worries are behind him now that the winter seems to be back on track.