“The operator has not shown in recent years that it can manage properly.”–François Legault, Premier of Quebec.
The situation at Mont-Sainte-Anne continues to deteriorate. CTV News reports that the Quebec government is forcing Mont-Sainte-Anne to shut down five of its lifts. The ski school lifts, Le Mille-Pattes, and La Montée Magique will be allowed to operate.
This is the result of one of their gondolas falling to the ground before it opened to the public for the season. The mountain has been closed ever since.
According to the Quebec Building Authority, the ski resort did not follow proper operating procedures during the morning inspections, leading to the incident.
The gondola has become a problem point for Mont-Sainte-Anne, with numerous instances occurring in recent years.
In 2020, the gondola rapidly stopped, leading to around twenty injuries. In order for the gondola to run again, it will need to earn a safety certificate from an engineer, and the ski resort will have to implement the findings of an expert report.
The other four lifts will have to pass a safety inspection from an engineer as well.
An official statement from Mont-Saint-Anne is below.
The mountain is currently run by the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR). They have been accused by locals of neglecting their infrastructure, leading to a diminishing product.
Earlier this year, they refused to sell the mountain to Le Massif, who wants to bring the ski resort back to its former glory.
Mont-Sainte-Anne is offering refunds to season pass holders or allowing them to transfer their passes to Stoneham. We’ll see what happens during the rest of this winter, but this situation is clearly trending in the wrong direction.
Image Credits: Simon-M. Morissette of Radio Canada(Featured Image), Mont-Sainte-Anne,
