Beaupre, Quebec — After drawing headlines for all the wrong reasons during the early 2020s, the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies have finally announced plans to modernize Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Yesterday, the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) and the Quebec government announced a $100 million CAD partnership to improve Mont-Sainte-Anne. The agreement will have RCR pay for $50 million, and the Quebec government will pay for $50 million. However, the $50 million from the Quebec government are royalty and forgivable loans that RCR will have to repay them for.
The planned improvements include:
- New modern lifts. While their newest chairlift (Panorama) was installed back in 2013, various lifts opened in the late 1980s, including two detachable quads, one fixed-grip quad, and the gondola.
- Snowmaking upgrades. RCR plans to increase its snowmaking capacity by 30%, which will allow them to open earlier and close later. This new equipment will also help reduce the amount of energy reduced by 30%
- Building new facilities at the base area and the summit.
- Construction of a new mountain coaster (alpine luge track) as a new offseason activity.
- Adding more trails for hikers, mountain bikers, cross country skiers and snowshoers.
Mont Sainte-Anne also announced plans to begin a commercial and residential project that will make up a base village. These additions could end up spurring an additional investment of $450 million CAD. This project could have major economic benefits for the area. They estimate that it could create an additional benefit to the local community of $80 million CAD per year, contributing $140 million CAD annually.
Mont Sainte-Anne has gone through some drama in recent years. In 2020, their gondola abruptly stopped, resulting in dozens of injuries. In 2021, a gondola cabin detached and fell to the ground. Thankfully, no one was on board at the time of the incident. The Quebec government initially tried to have RCR sell the mountain, but the two sides came to an agreement on a plan to modernize the ski resort instead.
While Mont Sainte-Anne is still a great skiing destination, its infrastructure needs updating. These improvements will make it worth visiting once again for Canadians and their friends south of the border as well.
Image/Video Credits: Mont Sainte-Anne, Canadian Ski Council (Ski Television), Murray Hay
