Quebec Ski Areas Ready To Open

The weather forecast for the next weekend suggests a perfect winter scenario for outdoor sports with snow, sun and seasonal temperatures. This means that ski enthusiasts will want to take advantage of this period to set off on the snowy slopes. Although the vast majority of snow sports enthusiasts respect the instructions and recognize the importance of the health obligations to which Quebec ski resorts are subject, the ASSQ calls on all visitors for calm, patience and rigor. in these difficult times. 

"With the snowstorm of the last weekend, we were able to see that the demand for access to ski resorts was stronger than ever last Saturday and Sunday," said Yves Juneau, President and CEO of the Association des Quebec ski resorts. However, this situation has caused some frustration on the side of the clientele recognizes the latter. “We must therefore expect that the visitors will still be numerous during the next weekend. It should be noted that the stations continue to inform customers on their website and social networks about the measures to be followed in addition to indicating ridership forecasts. Unfortunately, we noticed that several board sports enthusiasts had not taken the time to get informed before going to the resort and they had to turn back to their great disappointment given that the maximum traffic had been reached at some places ".

It must be repeated, this is a completely abnormal season and the context of the pandemic is forcing ski resorts to adapt. "We are committing enormous sums and human resources to ensure the health and safety of all, our teams are dedicated and make incredible efforts," said Jean-Michel Ryan, President of Mont Sutton and Chairman of the Board of ASSQ. Fortunately, the majority of customers show a good understanding of the situation and I would like to thank them, on behalf of my colleagues from the 74 other ski resorts in the province, for their good collaboration and the recognition of the work done by our teams. By continuing our efforts, arming ourselves with a little patience and showing respect for the work accomplished by mountain teams, we will retain the privilege of being able to ski despite the pandemic ”.

Respecting the 2-meter distance and operating the ski lifts at 50% capacity has the effect of extending the queues, agrees Yves Juneau. " In this context, we must count on the patience of visitors, because, for our industry, compliance with sanitary measures is the number one priority in order to properly protect customers and staff working in the resort".

Online register and reservation

As soon as the government gave the green light to maintain sliding sports this winter, the ASSQ equipped its 75 ski resorts to ensure the health and safety of all, while offering a pleasant experience to skiers.

Here are a few initiatives implemented in all the stations:

• COVID squad present as soon as customers arrive at the parking lot and on the ground in order to explain and enforce health measures;
• Participation of patrollers, monitors and other staff in efforts to comply with instructions by customers;
• Implementation of progressive coercive measures in the event of non-compliance with health instructions;
• Mitigation and customer management measures: distribution of arrivals, online reservations, limited ticketing, chalet attendance times, etc. ;
• Frequent reminders (radio, loudspeaker, display on digital screens and signs) of the measures in place and the instructions to be followed.

The ASSQ invites skiers and snowboarders to watch the video Ski well, be well before their visit in order to be well informed and to fully enjoy their activity.