Owners of the Historic Talisman Mountain Resort Conducting ‘Free Sale’ of its Items

Ontario skiers can get their hands on a piece of ski history. For free.

The Bruce Trail Conservancy — owner of the former Talisman Mountain Resort — will host a unique “free sale” on Sept. 11, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. There, ski history buffs can get their hands on some Talisman ski artifacts for the small price of absolutely nothing.

The conservancy is hosting the sale to clear the resort’s old, iconic lodge property before it becomes the Talisman Forest Nature Reserve. The sale will include dozens of items, from old furniture to iconic Talisman Resort pieces. Gardeners can also get in on the excitement, as landscaping plants like hydrangeas around the lodge are available for harvesting. Those interested in gathering plants must bring their own shovels, pots, and gardening tools to dig them up.

“There will be chairs, small tables, desks, dressers, ironing boards, luggage racks, and more. Items will be available as-is on a first-come, first-served basis,” the Bruce Trail Conservancy wrote in its announcement. “If you are looking for furniture, please bring a vehicle large enough to transport your items.”

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The historic Talisman Mountain Resort originally opened in 1963 and quickly became popular for its hills, chalets, and unique golf course layouts. For 60 years, the resort served skiers in Ontario’s Beaver Valley who wanted to spend a day on the slopes. School buses were often parked outside the resort, with kids utilizing the resort for hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities.

Unfortunately for the resort, its operations ultimately came to an end in 2011. Financial issues and competition with the nearby Beaver Valley and Blue Mountain ski resorts overwhelmed Talisman, and the resort was abandoned. Despite revival attempts, the resort never returned to its heyday.

For years, the resort’s lodge and infrastructure sat idle and rotted away. Chairlifts dangled from their stationary ropes, and windows at the lodge were knocked out and boarded up.

• Related: 7 Abandoned Ski Areas That We Wish Would Come Back

But now, the resort has a new owner with a new plan. The Bruce Trail Conservancy purchased the 84-acre property back in 2025 with a mission to tear everything down to return the resort to its natural state. The lodge and other ski infrastructure will be demolished, and the resort will be restored with planted trees and native plant species.

“It’s going to be a huge, huge project. There are 84 acres of (former ski) slopes we’ll be doing restoration on,” Bruce Trail Conservancy director of conservation and trails Adam Brylowski said in a Barrie Today article. “It’s definitely the most ambitious project we’ve undertaken so far. The opportunity to reclaim nature in a place that has been so heavily used is the definition of our mission.”

The plan to demolish the lodge and restore the resort is exactly where the free sale comes in. Much of the resort’s infrastructure is still there, including beds and other furniture from the 90 hotel rooms at the lodge. Kitchen equipment, computer terminals, wine glasses, and ski equipment from the rental shop are also up for grabs, with the conservancy hoping to begin demolishing the buildings this fall. As an organization focused on sustainability and preserving nature, the Bruce Trail Conservancy would like to find homes for as many items as it can.

“We’re working with the community and as many people as we can, to reach out to find a home for all the items left over,” Brylowski said.

According to Barrie Today, the conservancy is currently getting quotes for the demolition and removal of the buildings and other structures. It is also dealing with the matter of wildlife on the property, which includes bird nests, barn swallows living in the building, and a groundhog living underneath. The conservancy says it will locate the sites of the nesting birds and will do its best to create alternative habitats for the swallows.

For the Bruce Trail Conservancy, all the work done on the resort is necessary to return it to nature. 

“The impact is going to be huge,” the conservancy’s vice president of operations, Jackie Randal, said.

With Talisman’s exit as a ski resort and transition into a nature preserve, skiers who grew up at the resort have one last chance at getting their hands on some of the resort’s history. While seeing the resort permanently go is a sad sight for many, the Bruce Trail Conservancy is doing something positive with the property, and it’s giving the historic ski resort one last chance to say goodbye.