Ski hills planning snowy 2021 season
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/08/2021 (1729 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Westman ski hills are preparing for a regular ski season after Manitoba’s drought has forced some hills to call off the 2021 season.
On Monday, Holiday Mountain general manager Bernice Later announced the hill was cancelling its winter operations due to a lack of available water to make artificial snow. The hill is located near La Rivière.
But in Westman, plans are already underway at both Asessippi Resort and Ski Valley for a regular season once the summer ends.
Asessippi uses water from the Shell River to make artificial snow for its slopes, said president and owner Daymon Guillas. He said he feels sorry for the tough position other ski hills are looking at for the 2021 skiing season.
“We’re a long way from snow-making. We don’t start snow-making until mid-November, so lots can happen between now and then,” he said.
“We checked the other day and we still have lots of flow.”
The resort uses approximately 0.5 per cent of the Shell River’s flow to make snow. Guillas said the resort is fortunate to use water from the river for its water supply, not a retention pond.
The Asessippi area also received significant rainfall on Monday, he said, raising the water level in Lake of the Prairies by an inch.
“We’re in good shape. (The drought) has really made everybody go ‘Wow, I never thought about a drought affecting a ski resort,’” he said.
Ski Valley owner Don Horner said the resort near Minnedosa also has enough water supply for snowmaking.
“In the drought of the ’80s I made snow, so for right now it’s not an issue for us, we’ll be business as usual this winter,” he said.
Later, the general manager of Holiday Mountain, told the Winnipeg Free Press the resort uses flow from the Pembina River — which is experiencing a historic dry spell — to make snow. She said it would take at least 10 to 12 feet of water accumulation in the river before the resort could start making snow.
While the drought isn’t predicted to be a problem for local ski hills, Guillas said side-effects of it could have an impact.
The area around Asessippi is dependent on the agricultural industry, which he said is the resort’s “backbone.
When the drought reduces crop yield and how much farmers earn, it could affect the ski hill, he said.
“The ag economy is still the number one economy in rural areas, in our area, so if our farmers do not have a good year, we will feel it financially this winter without a doubt. If they don’t have money to spend, they’re not going to spend it,” he said.
Despite this, Guillas said he’s optimistic about the season as COVID-19 numbers come down, which means fewer restrictions on recreation and leisure activities.
“This year is going to be a cakewalk compared to last year.”
» dmay@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @DrewMay_