Ski hills in Durham Region are preparing to reopen Tuesday.
While it’s still unclear what colour zone Durham will be in, the resorts are planning to welcome skiers back to the slopes after weeks of no activity.
For Bill Galle, operations manager with Dagmar Ski Resort, the countdown is on as he prepares the slopes for action, making sure all 18 runs and six chairlifts are ready for Tuesday.
“We haven’t stopped since the lockdown. Anytime it was cold enough to make snow, we piled up the snow to last us long as we can into the season,” Galle said.
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The hill was only open for a handful of days this season before the province locked things down. Now, it’s gearing up for the reopening phase next week, a process that includes hiring back 250 staff.
“The colour will dictate capacity and weather we can do lessons, lessons we cannot do in grey,” said Galle.
“We’re going with the motto (that) your car is basically your chalet,” said John Tustian, Lakeridge Ski Resort outside operations director.
Up the road at Lakeridge Ski Resort, Tustian is also ramping things up in preparation for reopening next week, after the resort shut everything down in December when the lockdown hit.
“Fortunately we have a lot of snow, we have a great base, so we’re going to make a bit of snow, make sure we can get through March or get as long as we can,” Tustian said.
“So the weather has been a beneficial thing for us this year — we’re into a cold spell now at the end of February.”
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Tustian says the resort attracts around 70,000 skiers every season. This year, they say their losses amount to the millions of dollars.
“Getting open right now is just going to help us pay down the debts,” said Tustian.
Regional Chair John Henry says sports and tourism are a big part of Durham Region, but he’s hoping those in lockdown zones won’t make the trip to Durham slopes.
“People are anxious to get back out and have some fun and for those who love to ski, there is an opportunity to get back at the season,” said Henry.
No matter what colour the province places the region in, there will be restrictions on the slopes, from the chairlifts to social distancing and mandatory masks.
As for Bill Galle, he says they’re taking all these measures seriously so they don’t have to close again until the snow is gone.
“We’re bringing on extra staff to help marshal people and to remind people to stay two feet apart and reminding people to keep their masks on,” Galle said.
