Industry News
I didn’t grow up in a ski town, as I was born and raised in Southern Ontario, the heart of hockey mania. While all the other kids were getting into lacrosse and hockey, my parents decided that I should learn to ski. Their resort of choice was Devil’s Elbow, ON.
With a whopping 289ft (88m) of vertical and 10 runs, it wasn’t big, but for a young kid just learning, it was everything I could dream of. A family hill at heart, Devil’s Elbow, was a playground where my brother and I were free to roam. We had an absolute blast from the Double Black Diamond Mogul run “Olympic” to the race run “Satan.” We knew every inch of that hill and every secret trail in between.
In the winter, my family would spend every weekend at the hill skiing from first to last lift. I have fond memories of my mom and I shutting down the resort. We would progressively work our way back to the lodge, waiting for the inevitable last run warning from the liftie, only to sneak over to the next run and repeat the process.
Nearest City: Bethany ON
Vertical: 289 ft (88 m)
Top Elevation: 899 ft (274 m)
Base Elevation: 1,188 ft (362 m)
Runs: 10
Lifts: 6
Devil’s Elbow was opened in 1963 by Velfrid Holmberg. Velfrid immigrated to Canada in the late 1940s and started a construction business in Toronto, Ontario. During the winter months, construction was hard, and they needed something else to do. With a dream and a passion for skiing, Velfrid and his business partner bought a piece of forested land outside Bethany, Ontario. With his business partner and later his son Jon, Velfrid grew Devil’s Elbow into one of the most successful resorts in the Kwartha’s.
At the 50th anniversary, Jon commiserated about the history of the resort: “We have had four generations in a family grow up here. It has been for all ages. It has been like being a farming family. It is something we have looked after. We have enjoyed being 50 years here, and I think it is quite an accomplishment.”
Sadly, in 2018, Devil’s Elbow was shut down. Rising costs and warming weather made it challenging to keep the resort running. After 54 years of operation, the beloved hill is no longer. It was a heartbreaking moment for those of us who grew up skiing there.
Despite its closure, Devil’s Elbow remains a cherished memory. The lessons learned at Devil’s Elbow will stay with me forever. The love of skiing and the joy of exploring new trails were instilled in me at that small family hill in Bethany.
For a little hill, it created generations of passionate skiers, and it will be missed sorely.
