Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, is about to undergo the mountain’s biggest infrastructure investment in nearly 40 years. Once seen as the largest ski resort on Canada’s East Coast, Mont-Sainte-Anne has declined in prominence over the last 30 years due to competition and aging infrastructure. With the announcement of a CAD 100 million (USD 72.5 million) investment into on-mountain infrastructure, Mont-Sainte-Anne looks to reclaim its spot as the top destination ski resort in Eastern Canada.
Mont-Sainte-Anne is one of the oldest resorts in Quebec, with the first runs being cut in 1943 by local volunteers. The resort officially opened in 1966 with 10 trails and four lifts, including Eastern Canada’s first gondola. At its peak in 1986, Mont-Sainte-Anne was serviced by 14 lifts across three mountain faces. Today, only seven lifts remain, many of which need to be replaced.
Between the early 1970s and early 1990s, Mont-Sainte-Anne was the party capital of Eastern Canada. Busloads of skiers would arrive every weekend from high schools and universities around the province. Parking lots were rammed, and overflow lots would fill up just as fast. During bad snow years in Europe, Mont-Sainte-Anne became the go-to spot for European tourists visiting Eastern Canada, thanks to its proximity to an international airport and to the charming European-style Quebec City, just 30 minutes away.
The end of Mont-Sainte-Anne’s golden age coincided with Intrawest’s acquisition of Mont Tremblant, Quebec, in 1991. Soon after acquiring Mont Tremblant, Intrawest built the now-famous base village, featuring restaurants, shops, and hotels, similar to those built by Intrawest at Blue Mountain, Ontario, and Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia. Intrawest also made massive investments in lift infrastructure, including installing a gondola and five new high-speed quad chairlifts during its first eight years of operation at the resort. With a new base village and drastically improved lift infrastructure, Mont Tremblant quickly became the premier ski destination of Eastern Canada.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) took over Mont-Sainte-Anne in October of 2001 and continues to operate the resort to this day. During this time, RCR has invested in snowmaking and grooming operations, as well as in night-skiing infrastructure. RCR also installed a high-speed quad in 2013, replacing the old triple and double chairs that serviced the expert terrain on the south side of the mountain.
Over the last five years, RCR and the government of Quebec have been in talks about infrastructure investment following several lift incidents between 2020 and 2023. Eventually, both sides agreed to a deal that aimed to drastically improve the mountain’s lift infrastructure, on-mountain amenities, and snowmaking operations.
In December of 2024, Mont-Sainte-Anne and the government of Quebec announced the launch of a major investment plan to position the resort among North America’s leading tourist destinations. In March of 2026, Mont-Sainte-Anne announced that the project had entered its implementation phase and had placed its first equipment orders.
The investment plan includes two loans totaling CAD 50 million (USD 36 million), as part of an overall CAD 100 million (USD 72.5 million) investment plan to modernize infrastructure and equipment over the next five years. The cornerstone of this investment plan is modernizing the mountain’s lift network, as many of the existing lifts need replacement. In the fall of 2025, Mont-Sainte-Anne worked closely with ski lift manufacturers to define three new routes and three new lift configurations to replace the gondola, the Express du Sud, La Tortue, and the Express du Nord.
In a press release on March 30, Mont-Sainte-Anne announced the order for three new lifts from Doppelmayr Canada, which will be commissioned between February 2027 and December 2028.
The old Express du Sud detachable quad bubble chair will be replaced with a detachable 6-person bubble chair that will run on a completely different alignment from the old lift. The new lift will allow access to both the north and south sides while getting skiers to the summit approximately four times faster than the previous lift setup, and is scheduled to open in February of 2027.
The old 8-person gondola will be replaced with a state-of-the-art 10-person gondola, which is set to open in December of 2027. This new gondola will offer enhanced comfort with individual seating and large windows allowing guests to fully enjoy the scenic views of the St. Lawrence River. The new gondola will follow a similar alignment to the old lift and will also accommodate mountain bikes for summer operations.
The final lift will be installed in December of 2028 and will replace the old Express du Nord detachable quad. This new lift will be a six-person detachable chairlift and will dramatically reduce wait times on the north side, especially during the early season when other terrain zones have not yet opened. This new lift will run in a similar alignment to the old lift and will complete the transformation of the lift network at Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Modernization of the snowmaking system is also part of this new investment, which will increase snowmaking production by 30% while reducing energy consumption by 30%. On-mountain facilities are also set to be upgraded, as well as the installation of a mountain coaster to help boost summer tourism.
In addition to the CAD 100 million (USD 72.5 million) investment plan for the mountain’s infrastructure, Mont-Sainte-Anne is developing a major real estate project to expand the village at the mountain’s base. This development plan could generate additional investments up to CAD 450 million (USD 326 million). A master development plan is currently underway and is expected to be completed next spring. The identification of development parcels and the phasing of the project will be entrusted to a specialized firm.
With these new investment plans already underway, Mont-Sainte-Anne is about to go through its biggest development phase in nearly 40 years. The new lift infrastructure will help with crowd flow and improve the reliability of lift openings. The expansion of the base village will increase the capacity of on-mountain stays and create a more complete ski village experience by adding shops and restaurants. If all goes well, this investment plan will restore Mont-Sainte-Anne to its former glory as the go-to destination on Canada’s East Coast.
Mont-Sainte-Anne Mountain Plan Highlights:
- Installation of state-of-the-art ski lifts across the entire ski area: the gondola, Express du Sud, Express du Nord, and Tortue lifts will be replaced by three new alignments and three new lifts to improve circulation and overall efficiency.
- Modernization of the snowmaking system, enabling a 30% increase in snow production capacity and a 30% reduction in energy consumption.
- Major redevelopment of base and summit areas, integrated into the natural environment and offering innovative spaces and services.
- Installation of a mountain coaster, enhancing 4-season operations.
