After spending months adopting new COVID-19 safety protocols, Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ontario, opened on a Saturday and by Monday the province announced a shutdown starting Boxing Day.

“We were really taken by surprise with the announcement. There was no outreach at all to the industry,” said Dan Skelton, president and CEO of Blue Mountain Resort. “In fact, every indication that we had and all the documentation of a lockdown stated that outdoor recreation would be enabled and valued by the province.”

He says the resort spent a substantial amount of time, energy and money to adapt operations just to be shut down with little to no warning.

“We found out that we were closing on four days’ notice, just like everybody else in the province did,” he said. “We’re baffled about why outdoor recreation doesn’t include 1/8 downhill 3/8 skiing.”

He adds that Ontario is the only jurisdiction in all of North America that has restricted downhill skiing, even in areas that have much higher COVID-19 case counts.

During a recent deputation to the Town of the Blue Mountains (TBM) council, Skelton explained that before the provincial shutdown is lifted, the ski industry would like the province to address three key issues – restrictions for chair lifts, program-size restrictions and reopening strategies.

“You can sit on public transit or sit in an airplane, in mixed households with a mask on and that will be enough. They want us to have two-meters and a mask on a chairlift, which just makes no sense to me,” Skelton said. “I just, I’d love to have an element of common sense and a voice injected into this.”

In the fall months, in preparation for ski season, Skelton explained Blue Mountain had been working closely with public health officials to adapt operations for COVID-19 safety protocols.

Initially, the resort had been planning to leave two empty seats between riders from different households on the chairlift, as well as require masks to be worn.

Before the resort could put its public-health approved plan in place the provincial government-mandated ski resorts leave two-metres between guests on the lifts, who stem from different households.

According to Skelton, this essentially means Blue Mountains’ six-person chair lift was now a double.

“We had planned around 60 to 70 percent upload capacity. And we were reduced just by that sweep of the pen to 40 percent,” he said, adding that he does not feel this requirement is based on any solid risk analysis, and the impact on operations is substantial.

“In a year where we’ve really reduced our targets, we are further reduced by, about 30 percent,” he said.

Skelton would also like the province to re-evaluate its policy on program sizes as well, stating that the requirement to have two-metres between every household and two-metres between each person in the group and the instructor, makes most ski instruction programs impractical.

The ski resort is also concerned with the province’s plans to reopen on a Saturday.

The current provincial shutdown order is in effect for at least 28-days and is currently set to expire on Jan. 22, resulting in the first day back to regular operation would be a Saturday.

Skelton says this creates a lot of issues for the ski industry and he fears opening on a Saturday could cause a surge of visitors.

“Opening on a Saturday when you’ve got pent up demand for every pass holder and potential ticket holder, and we’ve got to retrain staff for that day, doesn’t make any sense to me, given that those dates are somewhat arbitrary,” he said.

According to Skelton, upon the closure announcement, Blue Mountain Resort had to lay off approximately 2,500 employees

“I would really love to see us open softly, maybe for locals and pass holders-only, a couple of days before that so we can take away from that rush and crush on a Saturday,” he said.

Andrew Siegwart, president at Blue Mountain Village Association, says he would also like to see more clarity on the provincial reopening plans as well.

“What does the reopening framework look like? There is really no guidance for any business – large or very small. We really do need a clear framework, a very clear plan, some consultation and engagement with the province,” Siegwart said.

Siegwart also asked TBM council members to consider forming a working group or task force that would connect Collingwood, TBM, as well as Grey and Simcoe Counties.

“When you have one municipality advocating in one direction and another municipality advocating in another direction, that doesn’t really help us prepare for demand, and it certainly makes it more uncertain and unpredictable,” he said.

“Neighbouring municipalities – anywhere where we have shared resources and shared goals – we really need to be sure that we’re at the table with these players and partners far earlier,” he continued.

According to Siegwart, early on in the pandemic Village businesses lost 100 percent of their revenue.

Through the summer and fall, businesses were able to generate “60 to 70 percent of the prior year in a blended format across, say, retail, food and beverage accommodations attractions.”

However, Siegwart says with the latest round of shutdown Village businesses are generating approximately 10 percent of the revenue they would generate in a regular season.

“Keep in mind that the winter season is the bread and butter of the ski sector,” Siegwart said.

The Ontario Ski Resorts Association has estimated Ontario’s ski resorts will see a combined loss of $84 million this season.

“And that’s just a ski operation. So when you add attractions, or just little track attractions, associated retail food and beverage, those numbers that are probably doubling or tripling every month, and the ski sector alone in Ontario, has laid off 9,500 people. And that doesn’t include all the layoffs in the food and beverage and retail sectors.”

Since late fall the Ontario ski industry has been lobbying the provincial government to make the appropriate adjustments to COVID-19 restrictions in order to make downhill skiing viable for the remainder of the season.

A provincial working group has since been launched and will be working with Ontario ski resorts to address regulation for chair lifts, program size restrictions and reopening plans.

Following the deputation from Siegwart and Skelton, TBM council passed a motion to have Mayor Alar Soever write a letter to the provincial government expressing concern and requesting the province support evidence-based decision making and provide clear guidance of a reopening strategy.

More information in regards to downhill skiing and COVID-19 restrictions is expected to come from the province on Jan. 9.