Early start helps N.S. ski hill operators enjoy successful season

Spring is in the air but the chill that gripped Nova Scotia for much of the winter was a boon to operators of some of the province's ski hills and trails.

Three popular Nova Scotia ski destinations told CBC News this week that they enjoyed a successful winter thanks in large part to favourable temperatures that contributed to good skiing conditions and a rare early start to the season.

Martin Kejval, CEO of the Cape Smokey ski resort in Ingonish Beach, N.S., said the ski hill was able to open before Christmas, which hadn't happened in several decades.

"It was continuously cool, we made all the snow we needed, and the winter overall, I would say, was very, very, very positive," said Kejval.

Cape Smokey, which came under new ownership in 2019, expects to have seen up to 24,000 visits by skiers by the time the season ends, Kejval said. The hill had around 2,000 skier visits during its first season under the new owners.

Ski Wentworth near Truro, N.S., also opened to skiers before Christmas, which was a welcome development for skiing enthusiasts, said president and general manager Leslie Wilson.

"It was a strong season," Wilson said. "Better than the year before, not as good as some, but better than many."

The ski season at Wentworth has wrapped up for the year due to recent mild temperatures, she said, but "we had great, cold snow-making weather early in the season so we were able to make snow and get our trails opened and the crowds came out."

Katie Fitzgerald, the manager at North Highlands Nordic ski resort in Cape North, N.S., echoed that sentiment. She described the resort's season, which also recently ended due to warming weather, as "stunning."

North Highlands Nordic opened on Jan. 2 and its cross-country trails were in "phenomenal condition," Fitzgerald said.

The resort purchased a new grooming tractor with funding assistance from the Municipality of Victoria County, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and a provincial grant. That equipment made maintaining a thinner snow base easier, she said.

'Normal' winter conditions a boon to skiing season

CBC meteorologist Ryan Snodden said temperatures this winter were closer to average than they have been in the past few years. That made for good skiing conditions because, despite snowfall amounts that were lower than normal, any snow that did fall stuck around.

"It was a normal winter, which isn't something we've experienced recently," said Snodden.

"In recent winters, we would get some snow and then it would be followed by a big warm-up with rain a week later, which would melt it all away," Snodden said.

That big thaw didn't happen this year in January, he said, and February's thaw didn't come until the end of the month.

"By then, the snowpack was well established, especially on the hills where they can also make their own," Snodden said.