Beaupré, Québec — After years of having the items in the cart, Mont-Sainte-Anne finally put in its shipping address and pressed purchase.
Yesterday, Mont-Sainte-Anne announced it has ordered three lifts, which will be installed over the next few years. This $100 million CAD (roughly $71.75 million USD) investment has been made by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) and the Quebec government. $50 million CAD of this investment was made possible by a provincial loan.
“This project marks a turning point for Mont-Sainte-Anne. It allows us not only to modernize our infrastructure, but also to rethink the overall experience offered to our visitors from next season onwards, focusing on performance, comfort and innovation,” said Maxime Cretin, Vice-President and General Manager of RCR’s Eastern Region.
New Lifts
The three lifts will bring needed upgrades to the Quebec ski resort. The Express du Sud (Southern Express) is currently a high-speed quad with bubble covers. It’s planned to be replaced with a detachable high-speed six-pack bubble chairlift. This will replace Express du Sud and the Tortue chairlifts. Its new positioning will provide better access to other sectors of the mountain. The new Southern Express will have a ride time of 7.28 minutes, making it four times faster than its predecessor. The chairlift will have 97 carriers and can carry up to 2,400 people per hour.
The infamous L’étoile filante (Shooting Star) gondola will be replaced by a gondola featuring 10-seater OMEGA IV LWI panoramic cabins. The lift, which has been plagued by lift incidents since 2020, currently has eight-person cabins. The new gondola will have a journey time of 7.42 minutes, feature 65 cabins, and carry 2,600 individuals per hour. As a result of this project, the learning area and its carpets will be moved to distance them from the crowds.
Lastly, the L’Express du Nord (North Express), a high-speed quad, will be replaced by a UNIG 6-CLD chairlift. This six-pack chairlift will have a ride time of 4.62 minutes, 67 chairs, and a capacity of 2,600 people per hour. This will replace both the North Express and L’Échappée surface lifts. The new lift line will be situated where L’Échappée is currently located. This will clear the La Paradeuse trail of lift towers. The top terminal will be situated south of its current location, making it easy to reach the expert terrain.
The Southern Express is scheduled to open in February 2027, Shooting Star is planned to debut in December 2027, and the North Express will premiere in December 2028. All of these lifts will be supplied by Doppelmayr, whose Canadian plant is situated nearby.
Other Upgrades
Other noted upgrades in the press release included a real estate investment at the base area, redevelopment at the base and summit, and the addition of a mountain coaster.
Their snowmaking system will also be modernized, resulting in a 30% increase in snowmaking production and a 30% reduction in energy usage.
Mont-Sainte-Anne’s Recent History
Situated near Quebec City, Mont-Sainte-Anne has traditionally been known for its variety of terrain for skiers and mountain bikers. However, it’s been marked in recent years by lift incidents, most notably from its gondola. The latest came in December 2025, when Quebec forced the ski resort to remain closed until it fixed some issues on its lift. They did, and they reopened it shortly after the discipline. Since then, they’ve reestablished their planned alliance. The partnership between the two sides was previously announced in late 2024, but this purchase announcement makes the plans official.
This will lead the detractors and locals to breathe a sigh of relief, as Mont-Sainte-Anne is finally heading in the right direction.
Image/Video Credits: Mont-Sainte-Anne, Simon Rooney
