Quebec ski hills see golden opportunity with snowbirds stuck at home this winter

For more than two decades, when the weather began to turn cold in Quebec, Elisabeth Niles and her husband would travel south to winter in Florida.

But this year, the global pandemic forced them to come up with a new plan.

"At our age we have to be very careful with the COVID and all that so we don't want to take any chances," Niles, 73, said.

"We've been going to Florida every year for the whole winter, playing golf, and well, this year is different, so we bought a ski pass."

Niles is not alone. According to the owner of Ski Saint-Bruno, Michel Couture, snowbirds are at the centre of a rush to buy season passes this month at the hill on the South Shore of Montreal.

Couture says his sales are up 300 per cent compared to the same week last year. He added that 50 per cent of buyers are new customers, many of them seniors.

"They're all excited. They haven't seen snow a lot (in recent years), they've been playing golf more, so that's a new group of people," Couture said.

A timely boost for the ski industry

The ski industry in Quebec has been doing well in recent years but Couture says the number of skiers had plateaued at about six million per season for the last six years. That stagnation was a concern for the future. 

Couture believes this winter is a golden opportunity to bring new people into the sport.

"It's a movement, because the option of doing some leisure or any kind of activities are limited. Hockey rinks are closed and people honestly want to get outside and get fresh air," Couture said.  

The rush to buy season passes has been so intense in recent weeks that Couture says he will soon have to stop selling passes to prevent the hill from being overcrowded. 

Other hills around the province are reporting a similar spike in sales. Ski Bromont, for example, says it's already surpassed last year's total sale of season passes. 

COVID will change the ski experience

Provincial health restrictions could change before ski hills open later this month, but those in red zones are preparing to operate without traditional revenue drivers like equipment rentals, eat-in restaurants and ski schools.

They're also preparing to operate at lower daily capacity, and will likely have to limit lift ticket sales to prevent overcrowding. They will also have to enforce rules which may not be popular: patrons will have to gear up in the parking lot and there will be no lingering in the chalet.

At Ski Saint-Bruno, the plan is to bring on more staff as well, so the employees can work in bubbles and they won't have to shut down in case there is an outbreak. 

The restrictions will make for a slightly different experience on the slopes this season, still Niles is confident it will be a safe environment for seniors like herself.

"They're taking all the precautions," Niles said. "I feel very very secure." 

Regardless of the restrictions, 2020-21 promises to be a big year for skiing, especially if there's a lot of snow in the forecast.