Quebec’s Mont-Sainte-Anne Ski Resort has had a busy summer so far, working on the construction of its new South Express chairlift. The resort recently provided an update on the lift’s progress, with excavation and terminal work well on its way.
An Update on the Lift’s Construction
So far, crews working on the lift have finished clearing the lift’s corridor. Excavation work has begun for the lift’s lower terminal, which includes the reshaping of the L’Envolée trail area.
Crews will continue to work throughout the summer to make the same preparations for the lift’s upper terminal.
The New South Express
Replacing the current South Express and La Tortue lifts, the South Express is designed to help guests quickly and easily navigate the resort. It will provide optimal access to the resort’s summit, particularly through the north sector and the intermediate and expert zones of the south side. Accessing trails like La Familiale, Le Gros Vallon, and La Ferréoloise on the resort’s south side will be much easier. It will also improve guest flow and circulation at the resort, spreading out skiers across the mountain to reduce wait times during peak periods.
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Mont-Sainte-Anne is sparing no expense with the South Express, using all the modern chairlift bells and whistles to provide enhanced speed, comfort, and performance. The lift will be a high-speed, detachable six-seater with bubbles to provide comfort for skiers during the windy eastern Canadian winter days. With six seats, the lift will help increase carrying capacity uphill, reducing lift line wait times and improving guest experience. The ride time will take approximately 7 minutes and 28 seconds, quickly carrying skiers to the summit to maximize time spent on the snow.
The lift will have 97 chairs, operating at five meters per second. It is scheduled for commission in February 2027.
A Larger Mont-Sainte-Anne Plan
The South Express is just one piece of a larger plan that Mont-Sainte-Anne has for its resort. The ski area is entering a significant reinvestment phase, announcing a CAD 100 million (USD 74 million) modernization plan back in December 2024. It received CAD $50 million (USD $37 million) in provincial loans, which was matched by the resort’s owner, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR). While the province briefly paused its contribution following lift closures in December 2025, the project was quickly cleared to proceed once RCR finalized firm orders for new lift infrastructure.
On March 26, 2026, the resort finalized an order with Doppelmayr Canada for three new high-speed lifts, which included the South Express. The other lifts — a new 10-passenger gondola named L’Étoile Filante and another six-seater named North Express — were also included in the order. L’Étoile Filante will be used year-round and will operate at 19.7 feet per second (6 m/s). It will have a ride time of approximately seven minutes and a capacity of 2,600 passengers per hour — an increase in capacity of roughly 33%. The North Express will be slightly smaller than the South Express, using 67 chairs with a capacity of 2,600 people per hour.
L’Étoile Filante is scheduled for commission in December 2027, and the North Express is scheduled for December 2028.
Beyond lifts, the plan includes a 30% increase in snowmaking capacity and a 30% reduction in energy consumption. The resort’s base and summit areas will also be developed, with a redesigned beginner zone relocated away from high-traffic return routes.
The resort is also planning on a potential real estate development that could generate up to CAD 450 million (USD 331 million) in additional investment. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with phased openings between February 2027 and December 2028.
A Premier Ski Destination
Mont-Sainte-Anne sits at the heart of one of Québec’s most important tourism corridors, alongside Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans, and Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. It is also the closest major resort to Québec City’s international airport. With a growing Quebec ski industry that reached CAD 425 million (USD 313 million) in total revenue for the 2024-25 season, Mont-Sainte-Anne looks to use its new infrastructure to grow as a premier North American ski destination.
