The current lack of snow and mostly unseasonably mild temperatures in Sudbury and other parts of Northeastern Ontario so far this winter is just a brief anomaly, according to Gerald Sanders, manager of the Sudbury Trail Plan, District 12 of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC).
He said he is confident that the winter adventure season is on the way, sooner rather than later.
There’s light snow falling today, Saturday, Jan. 6, although there’s still only a small skiff of snow on the ground. But the forecast for next week is actually predicting 15-20 centimetres of snow on Tuesday and 10 centimetres on Wednesday.
"Basically, what we're doing is getting everything ready to go once the snow flies. And I mean, you know, Sudbury is kind of a hub of snowmobiling. So as soon as you know, people start seeing that the snow is flying and that type of thing, I'm sure the phones will start ringing."
Sanders, born and raised in Sudbury, said it can be difficult to judge weather trends in Southern Ontario, but he is confident that lots of snow will be arriving soon in Northern Ontario.
"But again, this year might be one of those oddball years where, you know, we're all sitting in the same boat, right? Chances are the North is usually colder than the South. So if there is any sort of precipitation, it is going to be in the form of snow," said Sanders.
"And I anticipate if we get like 20 centimetres of snow, which is what they're calling for, roughly speaking in the next few weeks, I'm sure our phones will start ringing off the hook and lots of inquiries."
There are more than 1,300 kilometres of sledding trails in the Sudbury Trail Plan jurisdiction.
Sanders said the important thing right now is trail safety, ensuring there is enough snow to get the trails groomed and packed down and to ensure that all water crossing areas are frozen solid.
He said Sudbury is also a key jumping-off point for snowmobilers who like to trailer into Northeastern Ontario, unload the sleds and set off on multi-day rides farther north.
Lara Fielding is of the same mind that the lack of snow is a minor blip.
As the manager of tourism and culture for the City of Greater Sudbury she said the lack of snow is one of those things that will create a bump for outdoor activities, but the tourism draw is still moving forward.
"We actually are seeing good numbers because we have so much to offer other than our outdoor activities," said Fielding.
"Yes, I have reached out to our indoor attractions. And they are having increased visitation. Through their systems, they're capturing data that reflects out-of-town visitation as well. So although there's no snow, we are seeing an increase in our attractions, our indoor attractions," she said.
As an example Fielding mentioned Science North, which is offering more than traditional science-centre attractions.
One example is the Sip, Sing and Stay package that was offered for Taylor Swift fans to see The Eras Tour movie at the IMAX cinema, a unique experience for Swifties and concert fans in general.
She said it is one of many attractions that can bring visitors to the city from other parts of Ontario, where they can take in a movie, a theatre production or other activity, enjoy a meal in a nice restaurant and stay the night in a nice hotel.
Despite the popularity of outdoor adventures, Fielding said places such as Science North, Urban Air adventure park and the KUPP Centre Indoor Playground have a big appeal, especially for families.
Fielding said tourist-tracking research shows that winter visitors to Sudbury come from all across Northeastern Ontario as well as many points in Southern Ontario. She said once the snow flies, she believes the traditional winter activities will be back in full swing.
"I think we're very optimistic. I mean, we live in Northern Ontario. We've had winters like this before. We still have so much to offer visitors," said Fielding.
She said once the snow arrives it will be another stellar winter season in Sudbury where visitors can take advantage of the outstanding Walden cross country ski trails; fat biking, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing at Kivi Park, along with outdoor skating and ice fishing.
"Yeah, we are all Northerners and we'd like to get out and do our activities."
Regarding the current status of City of Greater Sudbury-operated outdoor recreation venues, Adanac Ski Hill in Sudbury is operating, with two of its seven runs active. The Lively Ski Hill is partially open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday, but the hours could change depending on weather.
For skaters, both the Queen’s Athletic Field skating oval and the Ramsey Lake skating path are still temporarily closed because of the milder weather, said the municipal website.
Local cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, such as Walden Cross-Country, are currently closed due to lack of snow (although the club notes its fat bike trail is open). Registrations are still being accepted for the Wooly Hippo Loppet.
Like Sanders' message to the snowmobile community, Fielding said people still need to be careful about outdoor activities and to be wary of obvious safety concerns such as making sure that river ice and lake ice is thick enough for things like ice-fishing and skating.
"No matter where you go, wherever you're travelling to, you need to know what you're up against. You know, talk to the locals and find out the conditions,” Fielding said.
Len Gillis is a reporter with Sudbury.com.
