Skiing | Something new on the slopes of Quebec

Quebec ski resorts continue to invest to ensure they offer the best possible services to fans, who have never been so numerous since the boom recorded during the pandemic.

Once again, it is the improvement of snowmaking systems that is attracting attention, with many resorts now banking on the latest generation of cannons that make it possible to make snow at temperatures close to freezing. Of the 74 resorts in Quebec, there are only 16 that rely solely on natural snow, tells us Josée Cusson, communications and marketing director of the Association of Quebec Ski Resorts (ASSQ), specifying At the same time, many stations have added webcams to better show the state of conditions in real time.

The crux of the matter will therefore be to communicate the good news: “We will have a challenge in the coming years to demonstrate that there is always snow, and beautiful snow, less than an hour from the house, continues the representative of the ASSQ. I also think that fans will have to change their habits compared to the winters that we have always known. In Montreal, we are not used to not having snow in winter, but if we look at Toronto or Vancouver, the habit has been there for a long time; there’s no snow in town, but we know there’s plenty to have fun in the mountains. »

The ASSQ’s strategy is therefore to try to make people understand that they risk missing out on something if they remain locked up at home. “We are in the process of putting everything together, but the association is sure to do a promotional campaign to encourage people to go out and play outside,” reveals Josée Cusson. We want to encourage people not to miss any chance to practice their sport, by focusing it on the happiness and joy we have when we enjoy winter. Because when you don’t have an activity or sport to practice in winter, it can be very long…” She suggests in passing not to wait for the perfect day, because that’s obviously when there is the most traffic.

Stable attendance

That said, the sport has never attracted so many fans since the pandemic, but the challenge is to see them go to the slopes more often. Thus, the ASSQ estimates the number of skiers in Quebec at 1.6 million, which translated last year into an influx of 6 million ski days, a statistic down compared to the attendance of 20 years ago. But this nevertheless made it possible to maintain the average recorded over the last five years, despite the low snowfall received in the south of the province.

However, the reception capacity of the stations is far from being reached. This is why the ASSQ is once again offering its Ski Passe-Partout this season, which offers five discounts of 30% in each of the 73 member resorts. The pass, which costs $50 if purchased before November 30, also contributes to financing the Expérience Maneige, Iniski and Inisurf succession programs at school, which helps introduce more than 30,000 people each year. primary school children.

For those who would like to learn the joys of skiing, the My First Time package offers in the forty participating resorts a 60-minute lesson with an instructor, equipment rental and access to the learning area, after where people can come and put into practice the concepts acquired during a second visit, equipment rental included. All for just $30.

Visit the ASSQ website