{"id":1870448,"date":"2026-04-07T20:28:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1870448"},"modified":"2026-04-07T20:28:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:28:54","slug":"ghost-ski-hills-the-rise-and-fall-of-ontarios-ski-landscape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1870448","title":{"rendered":"Ghost Ski Hills: The Rise and Fall of Ontario\u2019s Ski Landscape"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_398402\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-398402\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398402 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398402 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Toronto-Ski-Club-1942-Credit-Wikipedia-Commons.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-398402\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toronto Ski Club, 1942. | Credit: Gordon W. Powley, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Skiers,_Toronto_Ski_Club_(I0002665).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-24927924\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-24927924\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-17521123\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-17521123\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s a certain dislocation that comes with being a traveler.<\/strong> I should know more about Ontario\u2019s ski history than I do, but I moved from Toronto to Kingston in 1991, and by the late \u201990s I had moved to Montreal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>By the time I landed in Quebec, my mom was living full-time on Georgian Bay, a stone\u2019s throw from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluemountain.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blue Mountain<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgianpeaks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Georgian<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgianpeaks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Peaks,<\/a> two of Ontario\u2019s most recognizable ski resorts.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But I was raised a Toronto kid. I knew about <a href=\"https:\/\/horseshoeresort.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Horseshoe Valley<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mountstlouis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mount St. Louis Moonstone<\/a>, both near Barrie, and <a href=\"https:\/\/calabogie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Calabogie Peaks<\/a> in the Ottawa Valley region. Beyond that, I knew very little.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/blue-mountain-on-reservei-pass\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blue Mountain, ON, Conditions Report: Testing Out Alterra\u2019s New Reserve Pass<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Kawartha Lakes<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><strong>A couple of winters back, driving west along Highway 7, I caught a glimpse of a pull-off: \u201cSki Hill Road,\u201d Omemee, Ontario.<\/strong> I made a U-turn. Neil Young spent his childhood and attended elementary school here, and a deeper dive revealed Omemee is immortalized as the inspiration behind the \u201ctown in North Ontario\u201d in \u201cHelpless\u201d \u2014 the treasure hunt never fails.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_398373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-398373\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Manjushri_central_platform-2_edited-e1775502952307.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398373 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAKLAQMAAABcxKujAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAEpJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20KP6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADuBs37AAEp+GpsAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"651\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Manjushri_central_platform-2_edited-e1775502952307.jpg?resize=640%2C651&amp;ssl=1\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"651\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398373 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Manjushri_central_platform-2_edited-e1775502952307.jpg?resize=640%2C651&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"651\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-398373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Manjushri sculpture, Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden Credit: Anh Thai, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Wutai_Shan_Buddhist_Garden#\/media\/File:Manjushri_(central_platform).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Past icy marshland, the road climbs and immediately feels otherworldly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The first thing that comes into view is a 43-foot (13 meter) high stone Buddha \u2014 startling if you\u2019re not expecting it. The statue marks the entrance to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgianpeaks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden<\/a>, a 530-acre (214 hectar) <\/span>property purchased in 1990 by the Buddhist Association of Canada for its tranquility. A magnificent wooden main hall, built in the Tang Dynasty tradition \u2014 interlocking rosewood brackets, not a single nail \u2014 anchors the grounds.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related:<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/hometown-mountain-shoutout-devils-elbows-54-year-legacy\/\"><strong>Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Devil\u2019s Elbow, ON \u2014 a 54-Year Legacy<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-(--header-height)\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"043e4761-ef75-44f3-8eda-eac108b09c51\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-1\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"user\"><\/section>\n<section class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"request-WEB:b611c25d-3345-44c8-bf28-0f40852ec553-0\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-2\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-turn=\"assistant\">\n<div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-xs,calc(var(--spacing)*4))] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-sm,calc(var(--spacing)*6))] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-lg,calc(var(--spacing)*16))] px-(--thread-content-margin)\">\n<div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col gap-4 grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal outline-none keyboard-focused:focus-ring [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"03f03fd1-cca8-4f74-83de-23c5c4d62856\" data-turn-start-message=\"true\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-3\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"553\" data-is-last-node data-is-only-node><strong>From the tranquil Buddhist garden, the road slips deeper into ski country towards Bethany, arriving at <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/hometown-mountain-shoutout-devils-elbows-54-year-legacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Devil\u2019s Elbow. <\/a><\/strong>Skeletal red chairlift towers emerge through twisted branches, the last traces of a resort that closed in 2018 after 54 years. Founded by Estonian immigrant Velfrid Holmberg, it became a local institution, with four generations skiing its fourteen runs. Rising costs, warming winters, and no buyer sealed its fate. What remains lingers in the trees, waiting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><b>Further along Ski Hill Road was <a href=\"https:\/\/bethanyskiresort.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bethany Ski Club<\/a>, later Kawartha Peaks, then The Ranch.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> A local hotspot through the \u201980s and \u201990s, it rebranded as a snowboard destination before closing around 2001. While snowboarding was capturing my soul in Quebec and Vermont, the hills forming Ontario\u2019s ski culture were quietly closing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Toronto and Environs: Where It Started<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Before anyone drove north, Torontonians skied in the city.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.torontoskiclub.on.ca\/Our_Club\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> The Toronto Ski Club,<\/a> which formed in 1908 as the \u2018Telemark Ski Club,\u2019 skied the lakeside slopes of High Park, on the downtown\u2019s west end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>By the 1930s, the fever had moved to the Don Valley.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In 1934, the club built the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.torontohistory.net\/thorncliffe-ski-jump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thorncliffe Ski Jump<\/a>, a 65-foot-high (20-meter) wooden trestle opposite the now-shuttered Ontario Science Centre. <\/span> It was an era of shock and awe. When a sudden thaw threatened the inaugural Ontario Championships, members trucked in 100 tons of shaved ice from Varsity Arena to coat the jump. The event was a massive public draw, with the Canadian Pacific running special trains from North Toronto Station directly to the site to accommodate surging crowds. 10,000 people lined the valley to watch jumpers launch themselves 135 feet (41 meters) over the frozen riverbank.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_398369\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-398369\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398369 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHLAQMAAABidLtSAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADtJREFUeNrtwYEAAAAAw6D5U5\/gBlUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABcA5E7AAEp8sclAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"459\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?resize=640%2C459&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?w=810&amp;ssl=1 810w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?resize=300%2C215&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?resize=768%2C551&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?resize=600%2C430&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"459\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398369\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thorncliffe-Ski-Jump-Credit-Toronto-Old-Districts.jpg?resize=640%2C459&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"459\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-398369\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thorncliffe Ski Jump Credit: Toronto Old Districts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-69533846\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-69533846\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<p><b>Beyond the spectacle of Thorncliffe, Toronto ski hills were community hills: <\/b>rope tows, warming huts.<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> There was a tow called Honey Pot, a hill called Summit, and King Valley in King City. They existed because people wanted to ski, and the mountains weren\u2019t coming to them. Most are lost to development but the echoes remain, especially for multi-generational Torontonians. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toronto.ca\/explore-enjoy\/parks-recreation\/places-spaces\/parks-and-recreation-facilities\/location\/?id=2766&amp;title=Earl-Bales-Ski-and-Snowboard-Centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre in North York<\/a>, the last alpine ski area within the city\u2019s boundaries, carries the legacy forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Muskoka and Haliburton: Cottage Country<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Huntsville alone had five hills: <\/strong>Cedar Grove, Curlew, Limber Lost, Sunridge, and Tally-ho. Rainbow Ridge in Bracebridge. Britannia at Lake of Bays.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Muskoka Sands in Gravenhurst had a T-bar that ran into the \u201880s<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Now part of Taboo Muskoka, the bunny hill still exists, overgrown, another ghost. <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.skihiddenvalley.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hidden Valley<\/a>, upgraded, modernized, and strategically positioned near the western gates of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontarioparks.ca\/park\/algonquin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Algonquin Park<\/a>, is the survivor.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Escarpment: The Heartbeat of Ontario<\/b><\/h3>\n<div class=\"tonYlb\" data-tr-rsts=\"false\">\n<div>\n<div class data-streaming-container>\n<div data-processed=\"true\">\n<div class=\"CKgc1d\" data-scope-id=\"turn\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb data-complete=\"true\">\n<div class=\"Zkbeff\" data-subtree=\"aimc\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-wiz-uids=\"Z2r1uf_2\" data-sfc-cb data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiYhZzPrdmTAxXqKVkFHd8NHH8Q2O0OegYIAQgAEAA\" data-hveid=\"CAEIABAA\" data-complete=\"true\">\n<div class=\"pWvJNd\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb data-complete=\"true\">\n<div class=\"mZJni Dn7Fzd\" dir=\"ltr\" data-container-id=\"main-col\" data-xid=\"VpUvz\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiYhZzPrdmTAxXqKVkFHd8NHH8Q3KYQegYIAQgAEAE\">\n<div data-container-id=\"5\">\n<div class=\"Y3BBE\" data-sfc-cp data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb data-hveid=\"CAEIBhAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\">\n<p data-start=\"110\" data-end=\"364\"><strong>The ridge stretching from the Niagara Peninsula to the Bruce Peninsula once held Ontario\u2019s most serious skiing.<\/strong> Carved from limestone and shale, and edged by the vast, crystal-blue waters of a great inland lake, it offered a striking natural stage for winter sport.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_398376\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-398376\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Talisman-e1775503825461.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398376 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHhAQMAAADEQ50CAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADpJREFUeNrtwQEBAAAAgJD+r+4ICgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABomDEAAYdtmYUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"481\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Talisman-e1775503825461.jpg?resize=640%2C481&amp;ssl=1\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"481\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398376 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Talisman-e1775503825461.jpg?resize=640%2C481&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"481\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-398376\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Talisman Resort Credit: Niels Elgaard Larsen, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:TalismanOn.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"366\" data-end=\"724\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/brucetrail.org\/talisman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Talisman Mountain Resort<\/a> in Kimberley opened on Christmas Eve 1963, and quickly grew into the province\u2019s largest ski destination.<\/strong> It was ahead of its time in embracing snowboarding, with CASI (Canadian Snowboard Instructor\u2019s Association) Hall of Famer <a href=\"https:\/\/casi-acms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ALLISON-CHURCH.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allison \u201cShred\u201d Church<\/a> leading the program as early as 1988. International competitions followed, and generations of families returned year after year.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"726\" data-end=\"1256\"><strong>In a landmark win for the environment, the long-uncertain fate of the Talisman lands has been resolved. <\/strong>Not by development, but by preservation. After closing in 2011 and lingering for over a decade amid proposals ranging from condo hotels to a sprawling Nordic spa, the property has found a different future. The<a href=\"https:\/\/brucetrail.org\/talisman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Bruce Trail <\/a>Conservancy has secured the \u201cmiddle lands,\u201d protecting 142 acres of the Beaver Valley for reforestation and permanent conservation. The lifts are silent, the grand plans have faded, but the escarpment endures.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1258\" data-end=\"1427\"><strong>Old Smokey. Valley Schuss. Pinnacle. Chedoke. King\u2019s Forest.<\/strong> Once, the escarpment held skiing everywhere. Now, it has a future, returned to the wild.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><b>Eastern and Northern Ontario: Quiet Transitions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Eastern Ontario\u2019s lost hills were smaller but no less important.<\/strong> The nation\u2019s capital once had Carlington, the Dome, and Rockcliffe\u2014urban hills like Toronto\u2019s, now absorbed into the city.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/calabogie-peaks-resort-on-report-bluebird-skies-and-perfect-snow\/\">Calabogie Peaks Resort, ON, Report: Bluebird Skies and Perfect Snow<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dacreheights.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dacre Heights<\/a> near Renfrew had 590 feet (180 meters) of vertical, larger than most local hills.<\/strong> A lodge fire in 1999 ended it. The land changed hands, but Dacre\u2019s second act has an unconventional happy ending: In 2017, new owners reopened it as a free hiking, skiing, and biking destination. The runs remain skiable and wide open.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_398397\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-398397\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398397 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398397\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/960px-Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump_edited.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-398397\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Thunder Ski Jump Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Big_Thunder_Ski_Jump.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Northern Ontario has seen dramatic shifts in the landscape in recent years.<\/strong> Thunder Bay, once a hub with five distinct ski areas, has consolidated to two. The 1996 closure of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skisprungschanzen.com\/EN\/Ski+Jumps\/CAN-Canada\/ON-Ontario\/Thunder+Bay\/0118-Big+Thunder+Ski+Jumping+Center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Big Thunder Ski Jumping Complex<\/a> \u2014 a facility that once groomed Olympic athletes \u2014 and the loss of Candy Mountain\u2019s record-setting chairlift in 2002 were massive hits to the region\u2019s alpine community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But the North is also where a quiet turnaround is happening.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/antoinemountain.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Antoine Mountain<\/a>\u2019s successful rebrand as a community-driven destination provides a blueprint for how these historic hills can have a second life in the modern era.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Ontario Ski Country: Past, Present, Future<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Ontario is vast, and its ski history is rich, much of it unmapped, unarchived, and slipping from living memory.<\/strong> And yet, participation is rising. In 2021\u201322, 350,000 new skiers and snowboarders joined the sport across Canada, with the largest increases in Ontario and British Columbia. The 2022\u201323 season set a modern record with over 21 million skier visits. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skicanada.org\/facts-stats-updated-december-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Canadian Ski Council<\/a> called it the strongest growth in two decades.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Is environmental impact and climate change a factor?<\/strong> Of course. It would be naive and irresponsible to gloss over it or think otherwise. For those who live their lives on snow, it\u2019s a harsh reckoning and a call for immediate, sustained action. For years, it seemed we would never again see the kind of snow central Ontario knew in the \u201970s and \u201980s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>But the landscape is unpredictable.<\/strong> Last year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/barrie\/article\/gravenhurst-left-digging-out-after-towns-most-significant-early-snowfall-ever\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gravenhurst, Ontario<\/a>, recorded more accumulated snow than anywhere else in the world. It\u2019s a startling data point that challenges the prevailing narrative\u2014a reminder that nature\u2019s rhythms can surprise us. Something to hold on to, and to think about.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_398394\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-398394\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ghostly-Lifts-of-Devils-Elbow-Credit-E.-Hawkins-e1775508875267.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398394 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ghostly-Lifts-of-Devils-Elbow-Credit-E.-Hawkins-e1775508875267.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-398394 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ghostly-Lifts-of-Devils-Elbow-Credit-E.-Hawkins-e1775508875267.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-398394\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ghost lifts of Devil\u2019s Elbow Credit: E. Hawkins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The irony is in the timing.<\/strong> Devil\u2019s Elbow closed in 2018; the resurgence peaked just four years later. Ontario is the country\u2019s largest ski market, yet it\u2019s often treated as a quiet sideshow to British Columbia and Quebec. A province larger than most countries, with a ski history stretching back a century, is a footnote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What shifted when Intrawest arrived at Blue Mountain in the late \u201990s wasn\u2019t just a change in ownership\u2014it was a transformation of culture.<\/strong> My family was there during the transition. My mom and stepdad were excited about the economic boost it promised to bring the area. I, in true GenX fashion, was more suspicious.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/blue-mountain-on-reservei-pass\/\"><em>Blue Mountain, ON, Report: Testing Out Alterra\u2019s New Reserve Pass<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Across the province, the grit of the rope tow and the warmth of the heating hut cleared the path for a polished, corporate standard.<\/strong> That unvarnished era\u2014defined by families who knew every glade and ice patch by name\u2014is what inspired the skiers and riders now filling the high-speed lift lines at Blue and Hidden Valley.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And Devil\u2019s Elbow?<\/strong> For now, it remains a monument. The bones of the lifts are still there, stoic against the treeline, waiting for someone to turn the lights back on.<\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toronto Ski Club, 1942. | Credit: Gordon W. Powley, Wikimedia Commons There\u2019s a certain dislocation that comes with being a traveler. I should know more about Ontario\u2019s ski history than I do, but I moved from Toronto to Kingston in 1991, and by the late \u201990s I had moved to Montreal. By the time I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1870448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1870448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1870448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1870448\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1870448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1870448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1870448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}