From toddlers to seniors, Laurentian Ski Hill welcomes all ages and abilities to the slopes.
Celebrating a century of providing fun on the slopes, Laurentian Ski Hill is gearing up for what it hopes will be a busy season, while planning to diversify for the future.
Situated in the heart of North Bay, the non-profit has been attracting generations of beginner and experienced skiers and snowboarders to its many runs, each offering varying degrees of difficulty.
“We have about a 300-foot vertical drop,” shared Duncan Cornthwaite, executive director for Laurentian Ski Hill.
The hill was off to an early start this season.
“For the first time in many years, the chair has actually run in December. We’ve been very lucky with Mother Nature this year, and we also have an excellent snowmaking crew. We started about five days earlier this year on December first,” Cornthwaite noted.
Its central location means people can swing by after work for some night skiing and a bite to eat.
Plans for new LED lighting will assist with night skiing.
“We’re in the process of putting in brand new lighting on Maples to complete the process we started a couple of years ago. That won’t start, though, until into the new year, after Christmas.”
Families use the Christmas break to keep the young ones busy and introduce skiing and snowboarding to the uninitiated.
“We have camps running every day. We then start our eight-week programs in January, which are also filling up, both skiing and snowboarding,” explained Cornthwaite.
“This year, we are offering some more instruction in the park. We have two very good instructors. A lot of people go into the park thinking they know how to hit rails, and to ski in the park, and that’s where injuries are caused. So, this year we developed a program so that people will learn to enjoy the park for what it is and hopefully lessen any injuries or breakage of equipment that could happen to someone who is not familiar with the park itself.”
Equipment rental is a good way to try before you buy.
“We’re very fortunate this year to add brand new equipment to our rental stock, which is very exciting. We haven’t done that in a couple of years. So, guests who are coming in this year will be able to enjoy some of that new equipment,” Cornthwaite pointed out.
The conservation trails near the upper lodge provide another way for people to enjoy the great outdoors.
“We actually do have snowshoes and above and beyond that, we’re looking at bikes as well,” added Cornthwaite.
“We have a fantastic relationship with the Mountain Bike Association. They’ve run a number of events this summer. We had Global Fat Bike Day on the first Saturday of December. I was able to open up the chalet, and they had over 40 participants. We had a couple of shops in North Bay provide equipment for people to try bikes.”
Cornthwaite called the day an “overwhelming success.”
“We had lineups of people waiting to try the bikes. So, we’re looking at a couple of things this year. I’ve talked to them with regards to doing a night ride using the trail system beside us and then coming into the chalet and using the facilities that we have. We’re looking at meeting to expand our Global Fat Bike Day next year December, and I recently received an email about doing some things in the summer as well. So, throughout the year we’re hoping to have a couple of those night rides, and maybe some demos.”
Laurentian Ski Hill also has a reputation for developing competitive skiers.
“We have a couple of programs that use the hill right now, we have Elite Alpine Ski Cross, and we also have the North Bay ski racing club. So, they use the hill for training purposes. The North Bay ski racing club will be holding an event in February for U6 through U12,” stated Cornthwaite.
“The ski racing event is basically a Northern Ontario event. They travel to different ski hills throughout northern Ontario. They come to Laurentian and have been coming to Laurentian for the past 10 years. I’m waiting on a couple of other things that are hopefully going to happen this year. We are running three corporate events in the evenings on Saturdays for different businesses. And a couple of other things are in the works right now,” shared Cornthwaite.
Laurentian is a welcoming and inclusive hill.
Nipissing Trackers is a downhill ski program for youth with physical or developmental disabilities or both.
The program provides special equipment, including poles and bi-skis. A bi-ski is a type of moulded bucket on skis for individuals who use a wheelchair or have difficulty standing or walking.
Volunteers help to control the bi-ski, giving users the sensation of skiing down the hill.
“ They (Nipissing Trackers) run a fantastic program. They’re always looking for volunteers, as you can imagine,” stated Cornthwaite.
“It’s a great way to get youth and adults out on the hill who would normally not be able to do it on their own. It’s freedom for them.”
The hill draws people from across the north.
“We pull from Sudbury and Elliot Lake. We have a very strong school program throughout the winter months, so our local schools come. We’ve added three other schools, so we have schools from Little Current, the Nickel Belt area, and West Nipissing. We have a big catchment area.”
Children as young as one and a half years have been introduced to skiing at the bunny hill.
“Age is not a factor per se. Obviously, the ability to stand and enjoy, and at that age, there is support, but usually we see three to six-year-olds coming out. We do have that younger group that comes out.”
From the very young to the more mature, there is solid participation from the senior crowd, who formally get together once a week, enjoying the physical and social benefits of skiing.
“We have the carving club that fills up quickly. We do have a good senior population who do come out. They enjoy the hill during the day when all the kids are in school, and it is quiet.”
The focus now is on making the hill a four-season destination.
“We had a beautiful Fall wedding in September, which was fantastic. They exchanged vows on the hill. They were basically using the backdrop of the city for their wedding. It was the perfect day, blue sky, little white clouds. I could not have asked for anything better,” shared Cornthwaite,
“And I’m going to slowly branch out and hopefully attract other individuals who would like to use the top of the hill and the facilities to have their wedding.”
In 2018, the hill hosted an outdoor winter wedding for a Sudbury area couple.
Following the ceremony, the bride jumped on her snowboard and the groom put on his skis, then both headed down the hill, still in their wedding attire.
“We’re not just a ski hill anymore. Although we’re very much looked upon as a ski hill, we’re truly not just a ski hill anymore,” Cornthwaite stressed.
“I’ve been very fortunate over the short time I’ve been here to expand the offerings on the shoulder seasons, as well as the summer, and looking to continue that. We had a TV shoot here in August, and we had a commercial shot here just after March Break. So, there are lots of opportunities, especially with the view, the scenery, the trail system beside us to truly expand beyond having people say, ‘you’re just a ski hill.’”