Some Lower Mainland businesses are dealing with this winter’s snow and ice better than others.
Last month was Grouse Mountain’s best December in its
90-year history, and cold weather this month has helped continue that business boom into the new year. General admission attendance at Grouse is up 20% and ski ride attendance is up nearly 50% compared with the 2015-16 season, according to Julia Grant, Grouse Mountain Resorts’ communications manager.
The mountain has already received 470 centimetres of snow in the 2016-17 ski season, almost half of its average annual snowfall of 970 centimetres.
The current ski season stands in marked contrast to 2014-15, when unseasonably warm weather forced the early closure of the three North Shore ski hills and Mount Washington on Vancouver Island.
Grouse Mountain Resorts announced last September that it has retained CBRE to market and sell its operations, which include more than 1,200 acres of privately held land.
Other North Shore ski hills have also been turning white into green.
“We opened with just tons of natural snow, so we had a good strong opening and opened terrain really fast,” said Joffrey Koeman, director of sales and marketing for Cypress Mountain Resort. “It’s probably one of the better starts we’ve had in the last 10 years or more.”
With Cypress enjoying a strong start to the ski season followed by a busy Christmas week, Koeman is optimistic that business will remain steady over the next few months.
Mountain ski resorts are not the only ones benefiting from the cold winter. Business at Vancouver Ski & Board Services, a ski equipment service provider, has increased roughly 30% compared with the 2015-16 season.
Owner Barry Cleator said it’s a welcome change from the previous two seasons, especially 2014-15, when warmer weather slowed business significantly.
Avid skiers and snow boarders, who are helping drive ski resort revenue increases, are among the biggest beneficiaries of the winter weather.
“It’s amazing,” said Kate Mussett, president of the University of British Columbia Ski and Board club. “Whistler has gotten more snow than I’ve seen in years, and the North Shore mountains have been getting dumped on. There’s more fresh powder snow on the mountain than I’ve ever had.” •
