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Skiiers flock to hills as resorts open again

February 26, 2021   ·   0 Comments

Ski resorts in Ontario are open.

Resorts got the green-light to let people back on the slopes on February 16.

It has been a rough season for the industry.

The hills had a bit of a late start this year after mild weather in early December delayed snow making efforts.

A cold snap before Christmas allowed resorts to start covering the hills and they began to prepare for an opening day.

Hockley Resort opened its hills on December 19, and got a large turn-out of skiers and snowboarders who couldn’t wait to get on the chair lifts.

It was a short-lived season when ski hills were placed on the list of places that were not allowed to open when the province went into lockdown on December 26.

The ski resort industry lobbied the provincial government, saying that due to the nature of their sport, skiing was not an inherently dangerous activity and they should be allowed to remain open.

“We were really taken by surprise,” president of Blue Mountain Resort, Dan Skelton, said at the time. “There was no outreach to the industry to telegraph this was going to be the position. We spent a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of effort adapting our operation. To be the only jurisdiction in North America where skiing is shut down is really disappointing.”

If you are going to hit the hills you should be prepared for some new rules.

For starters, you will have to purchase your lift ticket ahead of time and on-line. No window sales of tickets will take place.

You will only be able to get a four-hour half-day pass.

Come prepared to be outdoors the entire time. Buildings will not be open so there will be no warm-up facilities available.

You will be required to wear a face covering the entire time you are at the resort and physical distancing must be adhered to at all times.

When accessing chair lifts, only people in the same social bubble will be allowed to ride to the top of the hill together.

Hockley Valley has announced it will be extending the 2021 season to April 5, this year, weather and snow conditions permitting.

By Brian Lockhart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter


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