Vaccination Passport Will Be Required To Ski Quebec This Winter

The Association des stations de ski du Québec (ASSQ) and the 75 affiliated stations have obtained confirmation from the Government of Quebec that, as of November 15, the vaccination passport will be required for the 13 years and over, for the use of the ski lifts and access to certain services offered in the ski chalets. This measure will allow Quebec stations to operate their ski lifts to their maximum capacity for the next season. The ski resorts intend to implement the validation of proof of vaccination from the start of the season for those who will open their slopes before this date.

“It is excellent news to be able to operate at 100% the capacity of the ski lifts and no longer have to limit the number of visitors outside. For the ski industry, the implementation of the vaccine passport is certainly an operational challenge, but it allows flexibility that is well perceived by all operators. Our surveys show that the vast majority of our customers are in favor of the vaccine passport. Visitors will therefore be able to enjoy the snowy slopes of Quebec with complete peace of mind this season. »Declared Yves Juneau, President and CEO of the Association des stations de ski du Québec (ASSQ).

Long preparations needed

In addition to recruiting staff and preparing slopes with snowmaking, grooming and maintenance of ski lifts, the stations are already hard at work to put in place the procedures for verifying the vaccination passport. The ski resorts will be in a position to communicate the instructions to their customers in the coming days. Note that, as each station is configured differently, it will be up to each of them to define the means of validating the vaccination passport.

The managers of the ski resorts want the collaboration of all skiers and snowboarders for the implementation of the vaccination passport. Good preparation before the visit to the resort will be essential again this season, including the advance purchase of ski tickets. Skiers will certainly be delighted with the resumption of all the services normally offered in a ski resort, namely food and drink services, sports shop, ski school, children's entertainment, competition clubs, availability of lockers as well as the rental of sliding equipment. 

Ski resort managers will therefore have to ensure compliance with the health measures in force. They will apply the general public health directives issued on the Quebec.ca site .

Here is a summary of the sanitary measures to be observed when visiting a ski resort:

• People with symptoms should stay home;
• Vaccination passport required for the use of the ski lifts and access to the interior chalet (food courts, cafeterias, bars). Restaurant rules will apply inside buildings offering a food service;
• For queues and ski lifts, wearing a face cover (neck warmer / balaclava covering the nose and mouth) will be recommended, as well as for skiers aged 3 or over in ski lessons;
• Wearing a face covering will be compulsory inside the chalets / service buildings and in the cable cars;
• Respect of the required physical distancing;
• Are hand sanitizing stations available.

Skiers and snowboarders are invited to consult the resorts' websites or to contact them for their procedure for validating proof of vaccination and all the details on the progress of winter activities.