Snow starts blowing at Calabogie Peaks in preparation for season opening
Calabogie Peaks Resort started blowing artificial snow on Monday in preparation for the upcoming ski and snowboard season.
"We're making snow," says an excited Jim Hemlin, COO of Calabogie Peaks. "We've got a two-day window, then we're down again until this coming Saturday, then it looks like Mother Nature is going to give us some more run at it."
Hemlin says, in a perfect world, Calabogie Peaks will have runs open for skiers in the next two weeks.
With temperatures dropping as we near the end of November, the ski resort says they have more than 70 snow cannons that will start distributing snow across their hill. Hemlin says without real snowfall, it would take 50 days of non-stop blowing in -10 degree weather to have 100 per cent of the ski hill up and running.
"Snow from the heavens is gold to us, every snowflake counts," says the resort's COO. "But, typically, we have to run across the whole hill with our snow-making facilities. We put in maybe a metre to metre-and-a-half of man-made snow, and then, if Mother Nature tops it up, it just makes for fabulous ski conditions."
Hemlin adds that there is excitement from downhill enthusiasts for the season to start as well, with season pass sales up between five and 10 percent. With few restrictions left in place for outdoor recreation facilities, Hemlin is expecting a return to a relatively normal ski season.
"We're still going to have, outdoors if you can't keep two metres mask up, and lift lines mask up. But the fun is we don't have restrictions on lifts. So I think our line-ups are going to be minimal, if any, and people will be able to get a lot of runs on the mountain."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
LGBTQ2S+ rallies to be held across Canada, billed as largest since marriage equality
Organizations across the country are gearing up for what they describe as the largest LGBTQ2S+ mobilization since the push for marriage equality.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.