Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Skiers and snowboarders who are looking to hit the slopes this January, are now welcome to hit the freshly-made snow at the Little Smoky Ski Area.
Little Smoky Ski Area is in the M.D. of Smoky River between Valleyview and Falher just off Highway 49, West on Township Road 744, and then North on Range Road 214.
Manager Clem Bourgeois is pleased to announce the hill officially opened on Jan. 11, and the staff is excited to welcome people to the hill.
“We are open every weekend and holidays and lots of Wednesdays to Friday, but only when schools are booked,” says Bourgeois, urging people to check the website first to see if the hill is open.
“You also save 10 per cent when you book online the night before.”
He reminds visitors there are some conditions that will force a temporary closure of the hill including cold weather closure when the temperatures drop below -30 C.
Bourgeois says people should take the opportunity to check out the work his staff did making the high-quality snow and come to enjoy a nice, warm meal at the chalet.
“Get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air,” say Bourgeois.
“Our hill is a great place to meet new people and to enjoy a sport together.”
Bourgeois says it was a great snow making year, but their opening date was pushed behind because of vandalism and theft at the hill last fall.
“We lost a month because thieves did nearly $100,000 worth of damage on our snowmaking equipment,” he says.
“As a result of this vandalism we now have security on 24 hours per day. We won’t tolerate any more damage to these community assets.”
The ski hill’s calendar and open dates are updated daily on the ski hill’s website.
For more information about the ski hill or to purchase your season tickets, please phone the hill at (780) 837-8144, email littlesmoky @serbernet.com, or visit their website at www.littlesmokyski.ca