Hope for the slopes: Ontario ski industry looking to bounce back after 2 difficult years

This week's snowfall has southern Ontario's skiers and snowboarders getting ready for a new season and experts say this could be a banner year on the province's slopes.

Paul Pinchbeck, president and CEO of the Canadian Ski Council (CSC), says he expects an exceptional season after the last three were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I've been in this industry for the last 22 years and haven't seen optimistic numbers like this before," Pinchbeck told CBC Toronto.

Pinchbeck estimates the industry likely lost around 35 per cent of its revenue over the first two years of COVID-19 as ski resorts faced temporary shutdowns, adjacent hotels, restaurants, rental facilities closed and few if any foreign visitors were seen on at Canadian ski hills.

He says he's anticipating a comeback for a number of reasons, including a trend towards outdoor sports that has emerged over the pandemic, a lack of restrictions on ski resorts this year and good weather.

And it's a welcome relief to the industry after the losses it has faced due to COVID-19.

"Certainly, the pandemic brought the 2020 season to a sharp and early close," said Pinchbeck.

Lodges like Horseshoe Resort in Barrie, Ont., about 147 kilometres north of Toronto, suffered heavy losses when they were forced to shut down.

"We laid off upwards of 800 employees on Christmas Eve two years ago and we were shut down until after Family Day weekend," said Jonathan Reid, the resort's vice president and general manager.

"Those were some challenging times for sure."

Ironically, the CSC reports more than 355,000 people took up skiing and snowboarding over the past year.

"We've seen a lot of people sort of gravitating towards outdoor activity through the pandemic," said Reid.

"What's great about it is 97 per cent of those people who were surveyed last year as new skiers and snowboarders said, 'Yeah, I want to come back.'"

He says there have been more early buys of lift tickets, season passes and lodging, while the Toronto Ski and Snowboard Show, seen as a harbinger for the season, was incredibly successful this year.

Ski resorts still adapting to challenges

As the ski industry heads into a season largely absent of restrictions, some resorts are putting money into facilities to meet the expected demand.

Reid says Horseshoe is making significant reinvestments in its ski operations, including snowmaking, ticketing systems and night skiing.

Tara Lovell, the public relations manager at Blue Mountain Ski resort, northwest of Collingwood, Ont. on Georgian Bay, is also expecting a lot of traffic this year.

However, she says it's important to adapt to pandemic challenges. 

"What COVID taught us was that we need to be nimble for literally anything," Lovell said.

Blue Mountain is moving much of its "après ski" activities outdoors and completely digitizing ticket purchases so skiers can avoid lines.

"You can't have people lining up indoors," Lovell said

The last piece, Pinchbeck says, is the weather.

"I've been in my role almost seven years to the day. And I've often said all I really want is just consistent snowfall across the country. 

"Early in the season, it looks like we're going to get it. 

Even with the optimism, says Reid, he is learning to be realistic.

"We've always got it in the back of our mind that things could change, especially with what you hear today about children's respiratory illnesses."