Province gives $100K to cash-strapped Clarenville ski resort
Town councillor Paul Tilley says White Hills probably wouldn't have opened without the grant
The Newfoundland and Labrador government has given a ski resort in Clarenville $100,000 to help it stay afloat after a couple of seasons of poor weather and even worse economic conditions.
White Hills Resort will use that money, plus another $10,000 from the Town of Clarenville to prepare for the upcoming season.
"It was a considerable expense in order to get everything up and rolling," said town councillor Paul Tilley.
"So yes, it was absolutely crucial."
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation provided the Alpine Development Alliance Corp. — which runs White Hills — with $100,000 in what it called "non-operational project funding."
The money will be used to help pay for "equipment upgrades, such as chair lift improvements, snowmaking operations upgrades and the installation of a new snow fencing," the department said in a statement Monday.
White Hills has operated as a community-owned, not-for-profit organization since about 2000.
The past two years have been particularly difficult for the operation, Tilley said.
"The weather's been a bit of a challenge," he said. "The economic downturn has been a bit of a challenge."
More money problems
It's not the first time the ski hill has needed a cash infusion to ensure its survival.
While the town council usually provides a line of credit to the Alpine Development Alliance Corporation — the non-profit White Hills parent company — it also wrote a $67,700 cheque in January to cover unpaid bills outstanding from the 2018 season.
Tilley sees the financial assistance as an investment into the whole region. He pointed out that the resort is also home to a 400-member cross-country ski club and a snowmobile club.
In addition to the financial contribution, Tilley said the town has also provided in-kind services to help increase the resort's efficiency.
The town helped repair slopes at the bottom of the hill in order to decrease the need for additional snowmaking.
Ski passes for the 2020 season go on sale at the end of November.
With files from CBC Newfoundland Morning