Oro-Medonte council is throwing its support behind local ski hill operators who don’t want to see a repeat of last season’s restrictions.
Sarah Huter, assistant general manager at Mount St. Louis Moonstone, asked council Wednesday to urge the province to consult with the industry regarding reopening plans. That consultation didn’t happen prior to the province closing ski hills in December 2020.
Skiing was designated as a recreational amenity as part of Stage 1 of Ontario’s reopening plan, but that was stripped during lockdown.
Huter asked council to help “put pressure on the provincial government” to ensure the designation sticks through the next season.
“The ski sector very dramatically needs your assistance and support,” Huter told council, adding the shutdowns and closing of resorts have been “devastating” to her and others’ operations. “Quite frankly, we can’t survive another shutdown.”
Coun. Ian Veitch voiced support for Huter’s request.
“I know it’s a very difficult and challenging role and I totally agree with trying to approve the assurances that you’re looking for, legislatively and otherwise,” he said.
He asked what safety measures Mount St. Louis Moonstone would be putting in place.
Huter said most of protocols in place for the 2020-21 season will continue in 2021-22, including mandatory masks and capacity controls
“We’re going to do everything in our power to ensure that we can offer the safest product moving forward,” she said.
She put into perspective the hit her resort took. In 2019-20, Mount St. Louis Moonstone had 662 seasonal employees, brought in $16 million in revenue and had a payroll of $4.7 million. In 2020-21, there were 495 seasonal employees, $5.5 million in revenue and a payroll of $3 million.
“There’s a lot of families impacted by this,” said Mayor Harry Hughes, who asked how many jobs would be in jeopardy, between both Mount St. Louis Moonstone and Horseshoe Resort, if there were to be another shutdown next season.
Huter noted the two operations employ about 2,000 people combined and create an annual ancillary revenue of between $20 million and $27 million in the township.
“That affects the businesses that exist in this township when our ski areas aren’t open,” she said.
Horseshoe Resort also saw a sharp decrease in revenue in 2020-21, bringing in 33 per cent less than an average year. Its payroll was cut by 36 per cent.
“It was, in some cases, insurmountable and we look to you for your guidance and support again this season ... so that the provincial government is unable to take away that recreational amenity designation without consultation to our sector,” Huter said.
Council approved a motion that calls on the province to “provide legislated assurances for the operation of Ontario’s ski resorts” in 2021-22, asks that it consult with the ski industry through the Ontario Snow Resorts Association to review future legislative changes affecting the industry, and that it consults with the industry to review reopening policies.
