REGINA — As winter is in full swing, ski resorts across Saskatchewan have officially opened for the season.
In Fort Qu’Appelle, Mission Ridge Ski Resort saw favourable weather to open on Dec. 10.
“[This] was only possible given the cold snap that we got late November and early December, allowing us to really make a ton of snow,” said Anders Svensson, business manager at Mission Ridge Winter Park.
The resort uses water from Mission Ridge Lake to blanket the area with 24 to 30 inches of snow.
Svensson estimated roughly 14 inches of natural snow fell before opening, which helped as an added bonus.
Along with favourable weather, Svensson said turnout has been above the ski resort’s five-year average.
“We really do draw people all across southern Saskatchewan, from Moose Jaw to Weyburn, and schools visiting us for trips.”
Even though Saskatchewan saw a cold snap in December, January has been above seasonal. Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting highs early next week to be around the freezing mark.
While this may cause some snow to melt, Svensson said there is a misconception about the risks of temperatures hovering around 0 C.
“The snow we make is much denser, and it takes far, far longer to melt. So we start getting concerned about double-digit temperatures in late March when the sun is high enough.”
Svensson said the ski resort is usually open until May.
It offers skiing, tubing, snowboarding, trails, restaurants and more.
Another ski resort, Optimist Hill in Saskatoon, opened in mid-December.
Todd Harms, operations manager of Optimist Hill, said conditions in the city were not favourable early on, with November being warmer than usual.
Once temperatures dropped, Harms said conditions were actually too cold to open the resort right away.
“With our guns we use to produce snow, we need temperatures to be around -15 C. If it’s too cold, then we have water issues freezing up in our guns,” noted Harms.
Unlike other ski resorts, Optimist Hill relies on city water instead of large natural water sources.
“City water is not ideal because it’s treated with whatever they use for treating. So it doesn’t freeze clean,” noted Harms.
While Optimist Hill can face challenges producing snow, Harms said its location is a major advantage for visitors.
“Being urban is a great advantage. We see kids dropping in after school or parents coming straight from work,” he said.
Harms also noted that many people use the ski hill as a practice area before heading to larger resorts at provincial parks.
As for improvements at Optimist Hill, Harms said they are working to reduce wait times, as the resort sees roughly 15,000 visitors annually.
Optimist Hill offers skiing, snowboarding, tubing, a terrain park and more.
