Saint-Sauveur ski hill is open thanks to man-made snow

The Saint-Sauveur ski hill is open for the season and claims to be the first in the Northeast.

With mild temperatures, snowmaking is more difficult, but one run is now covered – and that took a lot of work.

“We need to be able to make snow during those short periods of time during the night,” said Simon Page of Sommet Sauveur.

New, more efficient snow-making machines run every night as soon as the temperatures dip. But, during the day, that snow melts as temperatures have stayed high for this time of year.

“We’re happy to be here, but at the end it was a bit slushy,” one skier told CTV News.

Some say the Laurentians are the birthplace of skiing in Canada and North America. Also, in Saint-Sauveur, the Laurentians Ski Museum shows the history of the sport and how it evolved.

President Guy Thibaudeau said running a resort is becoming more challenging.

“Things have changed dramatically over the last 40, 50 years. There's much more pressure on ski areas now,” he said.

Yet Page said that by opening the gates at Saint-Sauveur, they’re putting the sport front of mind for many.

“When this first ski resort is open, people talking about skis, they're going to buy season passes and are going to go buy equipment. So, for us, it's really important to bring this momentum and start the ski season in Quebec,” he said.