Industry News
Mont-Sainte-Anne reopened on Sunday for the first time since Mid-December. The resort was forced to close by the Quebec government after a cabin plummeted from the gondola on December 10th.
The resort was given approval to reopen on Saturday, although the ill-fated gondola is still closed, and it appears the cabins have been temporarily removed. It also seems that there is currently no skiing open that crosses underneath the gondola, although this could be due to poor conditions on that side of the mountain.
The Gondola was built in 1989 and has had three incidents since 2020 which have kept it closed for prolonged periods of time. The terrain it accesses is thankfully easily accessible from other lifts. Regardless, there have been many calling for this lift to be replaced and for the rest of the resort’s lift system to be modernized, including the Premier of Quebec, François Legault. He and many others blame the resort operator, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), for the incident. RCR operates many notable resorts throughout Canada, including Kicking Horse, Fernie and Nakiska.
With snowfall in the forecast, it is great that Mont-Sainte-Anne has finally had the chance to reopen. Hopefully, this will mark the end of their lift-related issues.
I remember going there on a 18cm pow day, lining up an hpur early for the gondola (about 10th cabin), then just before it opened the lifties let 3 cabins of friends skip the line and when it did officially open everyone in line just did a mad pushing rush. I have never experienced that at anybother resort in Western North America. It was basically tracked out after a couple short runs with long lineups and that was the last time I went there.
Don’t waste your time & money. Just drive slightly further up the road and go to Le Massif (some of the best skiing in Eastern North America)