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Laurentian Ski Hill trending up

'There is so much energy on the hill and lots of traffic'
2020 Laurentian ski hill lift 1 turl
The lift at Laurentian Ski Hill. File photo by Jeff Turl/BayToday.

Emma Jones says it has been a good year so far on the slopes of Laurentian Ski Hill, 

Jones is the new assistant manager of the hill located on the escarpment on the north end of the city of North Bay. 

"There is so much energy on the hill and lots of traffic, a lot of members and new beginners actually," she said.  

"Since there has not been a lot to do people have been coming out to try skiing for the first time."

Jones, and her sister Karen Jones took over the management role of the hill this August.  She says they are pleased that unlike 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 restrictions on the ski hills in Ontario have been limited.  

See related: Laurentian Ski Hill to open this week 

Last year, the hill did not open until March 7, 2021 due to those COVID-19 restrictions.  

"Obviously, we have to respect our indoor capacity along with signage," she said.  

"We have been following the guidelines very closely while working with the Health Unit. 

"We were very fortunate to be able to open and I think people really needed a break along with being outdoors in the fresh air and having this facility right in the heart of North Bay is a huge benefit."

Jones says warm weather in December made it a challenge to get the hill ready in time.  

"Mother Nature was a little warm in December and we had to shut down snowmaking for 10 days however we are coming to the end of our snowmaking and we are working hard, the majority of our runs are open right now and we are working hard to get that terrain park done for all our snowboarders very very soon so we just ask for their patience as we have had a few challenges on our hands," she said. 

"However, the cold temperatures have been good for snowmaking."  

The hill is hoping to celebrate a season of success with a Winter Fest event taking place on the weekend at the ski hill. 

"We wanted to plan a day in appreciation for our customers COVID-19 has been really hard so we wanted to do something special as a thank you for everyone that supported us," said Jones. 

"We have a whole whack of activities planned where we will have live music, a barbeque along with a child and adult snow yoga class." 


Chris Dawson

About the Author: Chris Dawson

Chris Dawson has been with BayToday.ca since 2004. He has provided up-to-the-minute sports coverage and has become a key member of the BayToday news team.
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