Over a hundred skiers and snowboarders waited in line for the official opening of Antoine Mountain on Saturday. PHOTO by: Jazz Mathon
More than a decade of planning and hard work officially got ‘off’ the ground Saturday as the man who led the consortium of investors into the re-opening of Antoine Mountain was the first to ride the lift. Todd Yule says he first walked up the mountain back in 2003 and calls the official grand opening a little surreal.
“After 10 years it’s just amazing. I’ve come down before, but there is nothing like taking a brand new lift up and coming down for the first time, it’s exhilarating. It’s a great ski, we got 14 runs and a lot of combinations, so you can just make it your own.”
The biggest push happened immediately after the group announced the re-opening during Voyageur Days. In those eight months the main lodge was completely renovated and a brand new lift was installed. Perhaps the biggest challenge was the snow. Without any snow making equipment, the group relied on Mother Nature. With all the snow dumped since Christmas, no one is questioning whether or not she came through.
“It is a proud moment,” adds Yule. “I have to say there were a lot of individuals that helped me along, friends, family, even the community was amazing. When we developed the facility we used all Northern contractors and they were great. It was almost as if we were building something we were all going to enjoy. We tried to do it right and I think we did it.”
Paul and Diane Lachance lined up an hour before the lift opened.
To give you an idea of what the reopening of Antoine Mountain means for area skiers, one just needs to hear the story of Paul and Diane Lachance. The North Bay couple says they never missed a weekend of skiing in Mattawa back in the 90’s. When it closed, they decided to continue their tradition by travelling 8+ hours throughout the province to fulfill their skiing fix. They made it their mission to be the first members of the public to ride the new lift.
“It’s a really good family place. It makes your weekend, it gives you something to do, you look forward it, you can’t wait to go.” describes Diane Lachance.
“I think for any community to have something like this is important for families and just the togetherness,” says Ann Fraser, who came from Sudbury and was ecstatic to be back after 15 years.
For local resident John Park, the opening was long overdue. “It’s fantastic, the ski hill is finally open again and it’s been long awaited in this town and badly needed. They’ve done a beautiful job with the chalet, the hill is excellent and everyone in Mattawa is so happy the hill is open again.”
The reopening of the hill is also seen as a huge economic boost to an area that needs it. Jeff McGirr, who is the Director of Economic Development, says the draw will be significant.
“The projection is between 35 to 40 thousand ski visits per year. We also have a snowmobile trail that is groomed right into Antoine Mountain. We see on average 500 to 1,000 snowmobilers through the area today, so it is a new destination for them as well.”
The hill is already looking to improve services for next year with the addition of a rental equipment area and a ski school. For more information on Antoine Mountain, visit their website. http://antoinemountain.ca/
An emotional Todd Yule addresses the crowd moments before the official ribbon cutting ceremony at Antoine Mountain.
