More and more often, the Saguenay and Jeanne winters are marked by mild spells which force ski resorts to limit their activities for a few days.
To deal with these inconveniences, some resorts have equipped themselves with snow cannons, which allows them to extend their season. Saint-David-de-Falardeau recently acquired one, and the Do-Mi-Ski center in Dolbeau-Mistassini was also considering installing one.
Snow poles can emit 50 gallons (189 liters) of snow made per minute, while fan cannons emit 200 gallons (757 liters) per minute. (Stéphane Champagne/Archives La Voix de l’Est)
“It allows us to secure the ski season. Having a manufactured snow base allows us to have a more resistant and durable base, since it better supports bad weather and temperature changes. We guarantee a certain longevity to the season, and that allows us to leave it earlier too,” mentioned the general director of Mont-Édouard, Marc-André Busque.
The Anjeanne center has used around ten snow cannons since the 90s, but it was in 2017 that the biggest investment was made, with the addition of around sixty poles.
On the Valinouët side, the need for artificial snow has never been felt in 40 years of existence.
Marc-André Busque, the general director of Mont-Édouard, would not go back for anything in the world. The station has nine fan cannons and around sixty snow poles. (Jonathan Hudon)
“Yes, there are years where it could have made a difference, but overall, it’s not an incentive. “We’re lucky because it’s a significant expense in terms of labor and electricity,” comments marketing director Stéphane Leblond.
2 grams of CO2/kWh
In the opinion of ski center managers, electricity consumption is the biggest issue linked to the use of snow cannons.
“On average, we are talking about an electricity consumption of 11 kWh/m3 of snow,” indicates Patrick Faubert, professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at UQAC. In Canada, 130,000 tonnes of CO2 are emitted each year by cannons. This is the equivalent of the corporate emissions of a good-sized city.”
The marketing director of Valinouët, Stéphane Leblond, believes that in the short and medium term, the resort does not need artificial snow. (Michel Tremblay/Archives Le Quotidien)
In the province, ski resorts are connected to the Hydro-Québec network, but in other provinces, such as Alberta, there are snow cannons that run on generators with fossil fuels which contribute more to global warming. climatic.
“If we use fossil fuels to make snow, we are using a source of emissions that causes climate change to adapt to climate change. It’s a bit counterproductive.”
— Patrick Faubert
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the production of manufactured snow would represent two grams per kilowatt hour (kWh) with hydroelectricity, according to Patrick Faubert.
“It’s pretty much our biggest energy challenge of the season. It’s relatively expensive, last year it cost $130,000 just in electricity. When our snowmaking system is operating at full capacity, it costs around $350 per hour, and it can run between 72 and 144 consecutive hours,” indicates the operations director of Mont-Édouard, Isaac Gingras.
In 40 years of existence, the Valinouët ski center has never needed artificial snow. (Courtesy/Archives)
In addition to these costs, there are also equipment and labor costs. Isaac Gingras estimates the total cost for a season to be between $200,000 and $300,000.
2000 liters of water for 1 m3 of snow
Artificially snowing slopes also requires significant water resources. To operate its snow poles, Mont-Édouard uses several million liters, drawn from an artificial lake designed for this purpose.
-“It still takes a good amount of water. To make 1 m3 of snow, it takes 2000 liters of water, which is still a lot. The average drinking water consumption of an individual in Quebec is around 400-500 liters per day,” explains Patrick Faubert.
The professor of fundamental sciences and interim director of the Chair in Eco-Conseil and Carbone Boréal, Patrick Faubert, believes that the key to fighting global warming is to diversify your winter activities. (Photo: Courtesy)
Such a quantity of water drawn can cause various problems, particularly for aquatic fauna and flora. “It is uncertain if the water returns to its source, so if it is done poorly, there is a risk of depleting the water bodies,” he continues.
Certain conditions must also be respected in terms of temperature. In fact, it must be between -2°C and -4°C so that the snow made sets correctly, and so as not to skyrocket the electricity bill.
“Making snow at -4°C costs two to three times more than doing it at -15°C,” emphasizes Isaac Gingras.
The Mont-Édouard station must deal with uneven terrain. Having a good base of snow with the cannons ensures a certain safety for skiers. (Sophie Lavoie/Archives Le Quotidien)
Diversify activities
For Patrick Faubert, the secret to adequately adapting to climate change is above all to diversify your activities.
“I’m not here to tell people to stop skiing or other winter sports, but the key, for centers and skiers, is perhaps to diversify leisure activities and all that. which relates to tourist activities. It’s a challenge for businesses, but it will be the key to facing climate change,” explains the professor.
As for Mont-Édouard, which has to deal with rugged terrain, the question of whether snow cannons are an advantageous option does not even arise.
The general director of the Rivière-du-Moulin park has already considered installing snow cannons for its cross-country ski trails, but the operation was too costly. (Rocket Lavoie/Archives Le Quotidien)
When we do the benefit/disadvantage calculation, it is certain that we are much better off with a snowmaking system than without. We would not go back, it would not be thinkable.
— Marc-André Search
As for cross-country skiing, the general director of the Rivière-du-Moulin park, Frédéric Munger, already thought about acquiring a snow cannon, but very quickly, reality imposed itself on him.
“We have already evaluated this project, to see if there was a possibility of starting the season earlier, but it is too big an investment for profitability. For cross-country skiing, you need a little snow, spread over a long distance. It would have been necessary to install a system of poles to spread the snow, but this is not possible because it is too expensive and not effective enough,” he maintained.
Snow cannons are labor intensive to maintain and operate. (Martin Roy/Archives Le Droit)
The observation is the same for Valinouët, which should first study the feasibility based on its location in the mountain.
“It’s not yet an issue here, certainly not in the short term, nor in the medium term, it’s really not in the plans. But that doesn’t mean that there will never be one, we don’t have a crystal ball,” says Stéphane Leblond.
