2020 Ski Season

FANCY FILMING TO HIDE BABY BUMP Ever since This Is Us actress Mandy month he wasn’t worried about conceal- Moore announced she was pregnant, ing Moore’s pregnancy. fans have wondered how the show will “We are so far ahead in scripts that we deal with her character’s expanding belly. can compensate for things as need be,” he And on Friday’s episode of Today, Moore, said. “Because our timelines are so split shown, gave viewers a hint. and because we live in so many timelines, “I’m sure you’ll see Rebecca carrying there may be a brief period and window a lot of laundry baskets and oversized where you don’t see a lot of old Rebecca purses and God knows what for the next on the show because she would have some couple of months,” she said. really complicated explaining to do.” Creator Dan Fogelman told People last YOU Postmedia News MONTREAL GAZETTE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2020 SECTION D The dramatic summit chalet at Bromont, montagne d’expériences. “People want to be outdoors,” says CEO Charles Désourdy. “But we’ll control access. We can almost predict the busy days when we will have to restrict day tickets — normally the slopes would be packed after major snowfalls and on sunny days.” BROMONT, MONTAGne d’expérienCES BUMPY CONDITIONS ROCHELLE LASH There will be fewer frills for Quebec skiers and riders passes are great deals, with lots of perks. Owl’s Head offers the At least two things are certain this season, and the pandemic protocol will largely NINOXE4, which is $139 per per- about the downhill slide-sports son for the season if you buy four at season of 2020-21: it will happen, involve the honour system to ‘respect the rules’ once. Depending on when you buy, and it will have a few bumps. Mont Blanc’s juniors can ski for Quebec’s 1.4 million skiers and $259 to $359. At Mont Habitant, a riders can enjoy lifts, trails, wash- five-day, five-night adult pass costs rooms and new digital tracing, but $135 to $155. very little in the way of avant- or Because this year is fraught with après-ski. And, tucked between uncertainty, many areas are offer- our helmets and our masks, we’ll ing a “guaranteed season,” which probably have foggy goggles. means a full refund by a certain It will be pure ski-ride mode, date for an unused pass. If Trem- with few frills. blant’s clients do not use their Children will be out of luck if 2020-21 Tonik passes, they can snow school is cancelled, espe- receive full credit, rolled over to cially at popular beginners’ ar- 2021-22. If they bought insurance, eas such as Mont Rigaud and Ski the pass is refundable in the case Saint-Bruno. of illness or other reasons. Grown-ups will miss the cama- raderie. The successful charity SHADES OF SUMMER sport-athon Tremblant 24h, set for The 2019-20 season was trun- Dec. 4 to 6, has moved online. Ele- cated in March. Downhillers were vation Tremblant Gay Ski Week is Day skiers at some areas, including Tremblant, will have to reserve dates in advance. TREMBLANT bereft of the annual spring baccha- off the calendar, and Mont Sutton nalia, while mountain operators has suspended the rollicking music posted a cumulative $60-million jams at Bar Le Tucker. And Brom- loss. Then, summer was a surprise. ont, with its extensive night ter- While commerce, sports and hos- rain, has streamlined its moonlit pitality reopened sluggishly in Nuits Blanches — snow sports will cities, there was an exodus of ur- happen, but without the parties. banites to the countryside, where Many mountain operators have sports provided a release. The been studying 2020’s summer of same intense interest is expected skiing in Southern Hemisphere for winter. countries such as Chile, Argentina, “Based on our mountain biking Australia and New Zealand. and water-park success, we will “Tremblant is working to be very popular,” said Charles make this season’s experience Désourdy, CEO of Bromont, mon- user-friendly and to promote ac- tagne d’expériences. “People want cessibility to our mountain,” said to be outdoors, and some who ar- Patrice Malo, president and COO en’t travelling south will return to of Station Mont Tremblant, which skiing. originally scheduled an ambitious “But we’ll control access. We can start date of Nov. 20, but changed almost predict the busy days when that to Nov. 27 due to unseason- we will have to restrict day tickets ably warm temperatures. (Many — normally the slopes would be other sites don’t have firm open- packed after major snowfalls and ing dates, partly because the recent on sunny days.” warm weather has complicated snow-making operations.) Physical distancing will apply at Tremblant’s colourful A freestyler at Sommet Saint-Sauveur, which opened PANDEMIC PLAYBOOK “Health and safety are at the slopeside village. TREMBLANT for the season Oct. 30. ALAIN DENIS/LES SOMMETS “We are counting on everyone forefront of our priorities,” said to respect the rules,” said Yves Ju- Malo. “We’ll be monitoring our who are Tremblant ambassadors, order to restrict the number of “sold out” announcement. Most neau, CEO of the Association des employees, strictly following and Mikaël Kingsbury and the Du- visitors for purposes of physical single-day deals, such as the un- stations de ski du Québec (ASSQ), guidelines and staying flexible as four-Lapointe sisters, whose home distancing. Day skiers can buy a der-$30 weekday bargains at Mont which has 75 members. “We can the situation changes.” area is Les Sommets in St-Sauveur. limited number of tickets online, Sutton, will be eliminated, along have a great season despite the Visitors may be in good com- and at some areas — such as Trem- with Tremblant’s Latitude, Costco pandemic, but it’s an honour sys- pany, possibly skiing and riding TICKETS TO RIDE blant, Bromont and Les Sommets and Ski Max tickets. tem, especially for people coming alongside Olympic champions Ja- Most mountains will give pri- — they’ll have to reserve dates If you plan to ski or ride more from a red zone.” sey-Jay Anderson and Érik Guay, ority to season-pass holders, in in advance, occasionally facing a than a half-dozen times, season SEE SKI ON D2 D2 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2020 MONTREAL GAZETTE YOU Mont Sutton is prized for its glade skiing. SKI MONT SUTTON COLOUR-CODED PROTOCOLS ON THE PEAKS SKI FROM D1 Juneau explained the pandemic OFF-TRAIL protocol: If an area is in a green, This might be the ideal time to The government’s colour-cod- yellow or orange zone, most facil- try an hors-piste adventure. Pow- ing will rule, but regardless of the ities will operate and there will be der hounds can frolic in an average alert level, two-metre distancing food service, but with limitations. seven metres of snow with cat-ski- will apply and double-layer face If an area is in a red zone, chalets ing and riding at Massif du Sud, coverings will be mandatory. That will be used only for brief warm- east of Lévis, and heli- and cat-ski- means whisper-thin neck warmers ups and washroom breaks, and ing at Chic-Chac in Murdochville, won’t make the cut. That’s part of there won’t be snow school or in the Gaspé. the honour system. locker access, although ski shops Tremblant and Mont-Sainte- “We do not want to be unwel- will be open and daily rentals will Anne operate alpine touring — coming,” said Juneau, “but we ad- be available. cardio-busting uphill treks. Le vise people to arrive at the moun- The ASSQ has developed a co- Massif de Charlevoix offers sce- tain dressed and ready to go, then lour-coded chart that clarifies the nic cross-country at Sentier des Mont Orford has a vertical drop of 589 metres, the longest in the Eastern ski or ride and depart promptly, all intricate regulations, especially Caps, as well as guided backcoun- Townships. EASTERN TOWNSHIPS TOURISM with limited contact. That might on lifts (visit mysnow.ski). Skiers try touring over the mountains and mean eating a sandwich in your and snowboarders from the same through the woods. For example, the mini-empire “Being so close to Montreal, we car.” household will be asked to ride of Les Sommets’ five areas in the usually have a strong market of One hitch is that people will not together. If the ski zone is green, THE NUMBERS Lower Laurentians and Gatineau day skiers who we’ll integrate as be able to leave their gear in the yellow or orange, chairlifts will run In other years, Quebec slide tallies approximately 700,000 ski- best we can,” said Louis-Philippe lodge, so they’ll have to suit up and at normal capacity and gondolas sports represented an $800-mil- er visits during an average season. Hébert, CEO of Les Sommets. boot up in their cars. will be at 50 per cent. If the area lion industry and generated almost Anticipating less traffic, Olympia “We’re among the leaders in both Technology will also be a factor. is in a red zone, gondolas will car- 33,000 jobs, but this won’t be a and Morin Heights will offer night accessible pricing and night skiing, To track possible contagion, the ry two at a time. Singles from red profitable season. skiing only on weekends, and Ga- and we’ll still be the first in Que- ASSQ is developing an electron- zones have to distance by two me- One Laurentian manager said briel not at all, and the three areas bec to open and the last to close.” ic tool — which may be ready by tres; this means two single skiers it would be “survival mode,” with will close on Mondays and Tues- (Sommet Saint-Sauveur opened December — to enable mountain can ride on the six-person chairs additional technology, fewer skiers days.

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