OTTAWA -- With ski hills in Ontario closed during the province-wide COVID-19 lockdown, Mayor Jim Watson is asking Ottawa skiers not to cross the interprovincial bridges to hit the slopes in western Quebec.

CTV News Ottawa reporter Jeremie Charron spotted a parking lot full of vehicles with Ontario licence plates at Camp Fortune on Wednesday.

Speaking on CTV Morning Live Thursday morning, Watson said skiers should avoid the drive to Camp Fortune, Mont. Ste. Marie, Mont. Cascades and other slopes in Quebec during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm a skier, haven't skied for a while, but I love going to Camp Fortune and Cascade and so on, but this is probably the year not to do that," said Watson.

"We don't have any legal means at the city to prevent that from happening, but I think out of an abundance of caution people should try to stick to their own community and that helps us flatten the curve."

As part of Ontario's province-wide lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, all ski hills in Ontario must remain closed. In Quebec, ski hills are allowed to open with COVID-19 restrictions in place. At Camp Fortune, the restrictions include limited to 50 per cent lift capacity, mandatory masks indoors and outside and indoor access only for washrooms and warm-up breaks.

CTV Morning Live host Leslie Roberts asked Mayor Watson if Ontario residents should be fined for crossing the interprovincial bridges to ski during the lockdown.

"If there's a law on the books that says that's doable, it should be. It's my understanding there is no law that would prevent that interprovincial travel back and forth," said Watson on how to stop people from travelling across the Ottawa River. 

"I think it's just good common sense. I recognize they wait a long time to use those new skies and get out on the ski hill, and they buy their ski pass so they have a lot invested, but obviously, if I was still skiing I would wait and hold off."

Health officials in Ontario and Quebec have asked residents to avoid non-essential trips out of their own province during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ontario government has said there are no plans to place police patrols at the interprovincial crossings to limit trips. 

"We do not have a duty to turnaround seasons pass holders or check where they’re from. We have a duty to make sure that all of our health and safety measure are in place and that all of our customers are respecting our health and safety measures," said Erin Boucher, Assistant Director of Camp Fortune on Wednesday.

At Camp Fortune on Wednesday, Ontario residents said it was important to get outside for some fresh air and exercise during the pandemic.

"You feel a sense of guilt coming across, however, mental health is huge and getting the kids outside, and being able to have a physical activity, that's also important," said Andrea Clark of Ottawa.

"I think this is as safe as anything we can be doing. We're outside," said Melanie Keogh of Ottawa.

In Ontario, a petition is calling on the Ontario government to allow ski hills to open during the COVID-19 lockdown. As of Thursday morning, 78,000 people had signed the petition for ski shills to operate.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Jeremie Charron.