Quebec ready to inject money into Mont-Sainte-Anne upgrade

Quebec ready to inject money into Mont Sainte-Anne upgrade

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

With a nip in the air and the ski season in the offing, the Quebec government is reportedly negotiating a deal to help finance the revitalization of Mont Sainte-Anne (MSA).

A Sept. 25 report in the local publication Le Charlevoisien, citing an unnamed source, said the government would announce a deal with the ski centre owner, Calgary-based Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), at the end of October.

Le Soleil confirmed the report from a “reliable source.” The reports sparked a flurry of reaction the same day at the National Assembly, with Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) ministers dodging questions but not denying the reports.

The group advocating for new owners for the resort, Les Amis de Mont Sainte-Anne, told the QCT, through spokesperson Sabrina Martin, “For now, we will not comment; we have not seen the agreement and have nothing concrete to base it on.”

Quebec Infrastructure Minister and Minister for the Quebec Capital Region Jonatan Julien told reporters during a brief scrum, “We are working hard, and when we have announcements to make, we will do them with pleasure.”

Prior to his stepping down from cabinet, Pierre Fitzgibbon had handled the file as minister of economy, innovation and energy. Fitzgibbon had ruled out expropriating the resort from RCR, but said the Quebec government would be willing to invest in its upgrade.

His successor in the super- portfolio, Christine Fréchette, said, “Nothing has been signed,” and refused further comment.

There have been two offers to buy MSA from RCR recently. The owners of Le Massif de Charlevoix made a bid in 2022; earlier this year, French businessman Christian Mars, with the backing of local investors, made a pitch to RCR that was rejected.

RCR does not own the mountain, but thanks to a 100-year lease signed in 1994 with the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq), it holds the management rights.

Last year, RCR proposed a $500-million plan to upgrade the facility, which has been plagued in recent years with accidents on its lifts.

While reaction to the reports of a possible deal was positive in media reports, Québec Solidaire MNA Sol Zanetti said, “It is important not to put public money in the pockets of a company that does not deserve it. Enough with subsidies for billionaires.”

Mont Sainte-Anne is one of Canada’s oldest and best-known ski resorts, and the host of many international competitions. It also hosts mountain bike races on its network of trails.

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