The sun will be shining as the slopes of Mt. Seymour Ski Resort open to skiers and boarders this afternoon, offering perfect conditions for the hill’s first day of the season.
The third of the North Shore ski hills will open at 1 p.m. Dec. 1 with new COVID-19 protocols in place to keep everybody safe.
The mountain received an extra 10 centimetres of snow over the last 24 hours, bringing its seven-day total to 31 cm, and will launch with 11 runs machine groomed and ready to go.
Skiers and boarders with season passes or tickets locked in can look forward to unlimited visibility on the hill today, with a forecast of sun and cloud atop the mountain and temperatures of -2°C.
Speaking ahead of the opening, Simon Whitehead, Mt. Seymour Resorts communications and marketing manager, said “everything was looking great” and the team was “just doing their final finishing touches” before the season opening.
“We’re really excited to be opening for the season,” he said.
“We’ve been working really hard to keep everybody safe and make it as fun as possible and we thank everyone for their patience in the short term because we’re all trying to figure this out as we go along.”
There are a few changes to be aware of before hitting the slopes. Firstly, all ticket purchases and reservations must be made online before heading to the moutain.
Face coverings are mandatory in lift lines, on the chairs, the magic carpet, in lineups, and at the resort’s buildings. The resort has made it clear that there will be no exceptions and anyone not wearing a mask, including for medical reasons, will be asked to leave.
The resort has also introduced reservable four-hour time slots for both season pass holders and lift ticket purchasers on weekends and holidays. However, Monday to Friday lift tickets have a start time and are then valid for the rest of the day, and season pass holders are able to come and go to the hill as they please.
“The time slots allow us to stagger volume on the mountain, so there’ll be less people on the mountain at any one time than previous years which will hopefully mean, even though it’s a four-hour time slot, people should actually get more skiing and snowboarding in,” Whitehead said.
Guests will also be required to pre-purchase their rental equipment online, alongside their ticket purchase.
Snow tubing and tobogganing are now both “reservation only” activities to reduce capacities and increase social distancing.
Visitors to the mountain can also expect an increased retail presence on the hill, with a new store located in The Hut to increase the opportunity to shop while allowing staff to control capacities.
If you're driving, remember all guests and season pass holders will need to reserve parking on weekends and holidays. You need only reserve one parking allocation per vehicle if you are travelling in your bubble.
On weekdays, parking is on a first come, first served basis.
COVID-19 protocols
- Face coverings are mandatory in lift lines, on the chairs, the magic carpet, in lineups, and in our buildings. There are no exceptions. If you don't wear a mask, this includes for medical reasons, you will be asked to leave. This policy is to keep staff and guests safe.
- Hand washing and sanitization stations are available throughout the resort.
- Regular sanitization of surfaces and increased daily sanitization protocols.
- Zero Blast - Anti-microbial treatment coats all non-food surfaces with a charged chemical. Studies have shown that this treatment has proved to keep surfaces cleaner than regular sanitizing for periods up to six months.
- Sneeze guards installed where customers and staff interact.
- Wash or sanitize your hands often.
- Practise physical distancing of a minimum two metres/six feet.
- Avoid touching your face.
Find a full list of the COVID-19 protocols here.
Check the latest weather conditions here.
