THUNDER BAY — Downhill skiing in Thunder Bay on Halloween is exceptionally rare, but skiers who had to put their equipment away in mid-March when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared were able to hit the slopes again this weekend.
Mount Baldy has been able to make plenty of snow with the help of unusually cold weather this month.
Co-owner Jason Kardas says "We've been kind of blessed, at least for a ski hill. To have this much snow already is pretty crazy."
Management had intended to continue preparations for the installation of a new chairlift, expected to happen next year.
That requires excavating for towers.
In an interview this past Wednesday, Kardas said that when temperatures dropped a decision was made to change direction and plan for an early opening of the season.
"We ended up making so much snow that one of our main runs – the Shotgun which is about a kilometre long – will be completed in the next day or so. We don't normally get that until about mid-December."
Kardas added "I can't believe I'm actually saying we're opening in October."
He recalled how last season ended on a sour note because of the pandemic.
"We had so much snow, we could have easily skied into April, but we had to shut down along with pretty much the whole world."
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit reviewed Mount Baldy's reopening plan to ensure compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, including social distancing and face masks.
The TBDHU gave the all-clear Wednesday.
"The nice thing is, we're out in the fresh air...we're hoping lots of people come out and support us and have fun at the same time," Kardas said.
He said having 300 acres of property makes social distancing much more feasible.
For the second year in a row, the new chairlift will not be installed this season.
Not having the revenue from the pre-season sale after last March, management decided to hold off "because we want to be here for the long-term, not the short-term," Kardas said. "Nobody was wanting to buy a membership then until they knew what was going on."
In August, they nonetheless began work on the foundations for three of the chairlift towers, and expect to cautiously move forward with preparations for the other towers, which will require installation from a specialized team from southern Ontario.
Kardas said progress on the installation of all eight towers will depend on what happens with the pandemic.
A spokesperson for the Loch Lomond Ski Area could not be reached for comment on their preparations for the new season.
