Winter Wonderland Wows Skiers, but Not Everyone

Authors: John Griffin, Alicia Southall, Meredith MacKeen, and Matthew Elder

It is human nature to talk about the weather, and this winter, the word on everyone’s lips is “snow.”

Apart from a brief warming spell late last year, the snow has been falling almost daily in the Brome Lake region. As of mid-February, the area had already received 300 centimeters (nearly nine feet) of snowfall. That means a lot of shoveling and a lot of cars to clean off.

For ski resorts, however, this has been exceptional news. Bromont, Mont Sutton, and Owl’s Head all reported over 350 cm of snowfall this season, with all trails open.

“The skiing conditions are excellent,” said Bromont’s Evelyne Déry.
“The entire ski area is open, and the skiers are out in force.”

Bromont had already received twice as much snow as at this time last season and, by mid-season, was close to matching the total average snowfall for the past decade.

For those who live to ski, whether downhill or cross-country, this winter has been heavenly.

A Skiers’ Paradise

Skiing enthusiast Dave Fonda, who lives in Bromont, is thrilled:

“It’s been phenomenal,” he said.
“It makes up for last year when we had so little snow. It’s not too crowded, and there’s fresh cover every morning. It feels like the old days.”

At 71, Fonda had already skied 40 times by early February and hopes to match his age in ski outings this season.

One Sutton skier compared the conditions to icing on a cake:

“It’s skiing at its best, with natural snow sprinkled on top like icing sugar.”

Over at Owl’s Head, John Davidson, who lives near the top of Mount Foster, is equally ecstatic:

“Fabulous. It’s been great. You can’t ask for anything more.”

Not Everyone is Happy

But not everyone is thrilled about the winter wonderland.

Snow removal crews are losing sleep, and local businesses are feeling the pinch.

Genevieve Patry, who manages the bar at Auberge Knowlton, has noticed a downturn in customers.

“I think all this snow is keeping people away. The number of tourists is down.”

She wonders if it’s not just the snow, but also economic uncertainty—and politics—that are to blame.

“Though that could also be because of Trump,” she speculated.

Snow-Plowing: A Nonstop Job

Snow-plowing contractors are working overtime to keep up.

Ray Markey, a Townships native, is among those who get up in the middle of the night so that others don’t have to.

“By the end of January, I’d already plowed more than I did all last year. And it just keeps coming down. It’s not over yet.”

Ice Fishing: A Growing Tradition

For ice fishers, this winter has been a mixed bag.

On one hand, the sport is gaining popularity in the region, with families taking it up as a new winter activity. In fact, the Town of Brome Lake and the Quebec Wildlife Foundation recently held a training session for local youth under the “Pêche et herbe” outdoors program.

On the other hand, ice conditions have been concerning.

Despite several deep freezes with temperatures dropping to -20°C, the ice on Brome Lake is thinner than usual. The culprit? Too much snow.

The heavy snowfall has created an insulating layer, preventing the ice from thickening underneath. As a result, ice-fishing huts are fewer this year, and some locals are taking unnecessary risks.

One ice-fishing veteran warned:

“Too many people are venturing out onto the ice at their own risk.”

He noted that the last “really good winter” for ice fishing on Brome Lake was more than two decades ago. Back then, ice fishing continued into late March. This year, however, fishers expect an early end to the season due to the thin ice.