Mont Glen (Eastern Townships), QC will reopen in 2008-09

Patrick

Patrick

Well-known member
Here is the scoop.

After being closed for the last 3 seasons, Glen Mtn is reopening.

Just read this on Zoneski. Christophe (ZS's admin) received a Press Release.

New ownership for the land and hill this Spring. The new owner was talking at the time of giving it a try to restart the ski area. This isn't a huge place, even by Eastern standards, but it's a good family area with a 300 meters vertical with no snowmaking.

I coldn't find anything in English, but here is what is posted on ZS.

Publié par: Christophe le 22 Jun 2007
Le centre de ski rouvrira pour la saison 2008-2009 avec un nouveau concept de Club de Ski dont les détails seront disponibles très prochainement. Les travaux sur les pistes et sur les améliorations générales ont déjà débuté et un nouveau remonte-pentes sera installé...
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Here is a quick translation.

Reopening in 2008-09.
New concept of Ski Club with further details coming soon.
Works on trails and overall improvements have already started.
A new lift will be installed.

Zoneski discussion (in French) - the first post is the Press Release:

http://forums.zoneski.com/index.php?showtopic=7825
 
avec un nouveau concept de Club de Ski dont les détails seront disponibles très prochainement.
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New concept of Ski Club with further details coming soon.

This is the part that I'm wondering about. I've learn over the years to be cautious with announcements like these.

Not that this is necessarily negative, but that what been a few rumours on Glen in the last few years which is last operated. One of them was a Private Club, the other, a ski area and housing.

I'll wait and see before passing judgement...the situation is already very complicated with the dynamic between Bromont massive expansions in terrain and housing, Orford's fiasco, Shefford not opening in 2006-7 plus Sutton / Owl's Head fighting not to lose customers to the dirt cheap passes availables at Bromont.
 
Nothing much in the media, expect this French story from La Voix de l'Est.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070 ... ACTUALITES

What I feared.

Quick summary:

Private ski club - Members only.
Owners also wants to build "Prestige" housing at the bottom (North side)as well as at the Southwest side of the mountain.

From the new GM, Pat Côté, they want to create a unique ski club. No wide groomers, but skiing is a natural environment (opposite of what Bromont offers).

The ski area also wants to add some Summer activities.

Ski area could have opened this coming season, but they wants to have more time in order to be more successful.

From the newspaper story. Maryo Lamothe, a real estate developper from Montreal's South shore bought the area and land for $2.4 million CDN in March 2007.
 
Patrick":1pmudpfb said:
Nothing much in the media
Click to expand...

That's why we're around. :wink: Good work, Pat - I've started working on securing more info for a news story.
 
I wonder if it'll be similar to the hill in southern VT that admin skied a while back (Bear Creek?). I like the idea of closing it off to the public on weekends, but allowing non-members to ski there on weekdays. Does anyone know if that format (semi-private) is sustainable in the East?

Mont Glen was a cool place... I hope they can figure something out that works.

Patrick, I apparently missed the Mont Shefford story on Zoneski... why wasn't it open this season? Lack of snow?
 
jamesdeluxe":2osqhnl2 said:
Mont Glen was a cool place... I hope they can figure something out that works.
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Cool for sure. If it wouldn't have been for Glen Mtn, I would have probably never been born. :shock:

jamesdeluxe":2osqhnl2 said:
Patrick, I apparently missed the Mont Shefford story on Zoneski... why wasn't it open this season? Lack of snow?
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No, the decision was made prior to the Christmas Holidays.

News and discussion on ZS (In French) - December 17th 2006

http://forums.zoneski.com/index.php?showtopic=6731

There wasn't an official reason given, however I found out from someone that the ski area lift or equipment (I can't remember) had to be fixed to be able to pass a Provincial inspection. I believe the area had already been warn. The work wasn't done over the Summer, so the ski area had no choice but to shutdown until the concerns where addressed. I don't know if they will reopen this season as that is a ski area that I don't know anything about. I know that ZS has done some work with them in the past.
 
Peter White has purchased the former ski area for CAD $6,100,000,
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From whom? Someone made out like a bandit there. Why is there that much positive value in something requiring essentially start from scratch investment in lifts, snowmaking etc.? Maybe it's private land with alternative use possibilities.

I think Lynn Newcomb tried to sell Mt. Waterman for a something like $2 million and had no takers. AFAIK the Metcalfs stepped in and assumed responsibility for Waterman to prevent it from being dismantled by the Forest Service. I don't think they paid anything up front but have had to pay upkeep and occasional operating costs as essentially a labor of love since 2007.
jamesdeluxe said:
A pretty courageous investment for Mr. White given our warming winters.
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The Townships are far from the most marginal ski region of the East, though elevation range of 1,030-2,060 is a bit on the low side. So it's not necessarily non-viable. But paying $6.1 million up front before making the requisite investments in infrastructure? I'll agree with James that sounds courageous!

As in most cases, it's regional context that matters here. How crowded are Sutton and Orford? I think Bromont has night skiing and is closest to Montreal. Echo and Sheffield are other defunct Townships areas, which implies not the most robust local demand. Owl's Head has similar stats as Mont Glen. How is it doing?

Patrick is the most qualified person to discuss the Montreal local ski market and answer these questions. Don't expect that to be anytime soon as he's in Australia.
 
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Patrick said:
New concept of Ski Club with further details coming soon.

This is the part that I'm wondering about. I've learn over the years to be cautious with announcements like these.

Not that this is necessarily negative, but that what been a few rumours on Glen in the last few years which is last operated. One of them was a Private Club, the other, a ski area and housing.

I'll wait and see before passing judgement...the situation is already very complicated with the dynamic between Bromont massive expansions in terrain and housing, Orford's fiasco, Shefford not opening in 2006-7 plus Sutton / Owl's Head fighting not to lose customers to the dirt cheap passes availables at Bromont.
Click to expand...
My daughter lives in Montreal (grad student at McGill), is an avid skier, and buys one of those cheap season passes to Bromont. I may drive up this winter for a weekend of skiing with her at Bromont. Is it worth the 4.5 hour drive to ski there (Patrick)?
 
If I were making that drive, I'd be skiing Sutton and Orford, more vertical, steeper and fairly sure more natural snow. A Google Earth view of Bromont shows a lot of ontermediate cut trails flowing in 3 directions (1,200, 1,000 and 800 vertical pods) from its 1,800 foot summit.
 
Tony Crocker said:
If I were making that drive, I'd be skiing Sutton and Orford, more vertical, steeper and fairly sure more natural snow. A Google Earth view of Bromont shows a lot of intermediate cut trails flowing in 3 directions (1,200, 1,000 and 800 vertical pods) from its 1,800 foot summit.
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It's been a decade since I last skied Bromont and posted this FTO article; however, as I argue in the piece, it's worth checking out for a day. For the lack of a better comparison, it's a bigger and better (due to all the glades) French-Canadian version of Hunter Mountain. You just have to go there with a specific mindset and avoid peak periods.
 
Nice article above by James, and a good illustration why I'm very glad that FTO Features have been retained. I always thought Saint Sauveur was to Montreal what Big Bear is to L.A., but from James' feature Bromont has competent management on a larger mountain equally convenient to Montrealers. And I have to concede that drive time to Big Bear is 2x what the Montrealers have to either Saint Sauveur or Bromont.

So there's probably more to keep Berkshireskier entertained at Bromont that I thought. But I'd guess it's one of those places that's likely much better midweek.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
A pretty courageous investment for Mr. White given our warming winters.
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It's clear that Peter White isn't going it for the money, but the love of the sport and the mountain.

I remember reading a story when this news dropped, that when he sold is was under a condition (not exactly sure of the wording) that Glen remains open. The new owner sold it for much more to someone else that turned the last strictly private and used the facilities for his and his friends own special playground.
Tony Crocker said:
But paying $6.1 million up front before making the requisite investments in infrastructure? I'll agree with James that sounds courageous!

As in most cases, it's regional context that matters here. How crowded are Sutton and Orford? I think Bromont has night skiing and is closest to Montreal. Echo and Sheffield are other defunct Townships areas, which implies not the most robust local demand.
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Land around Glen Mountain is in high demand (see the craziness around Bromont as prime example), so if you included the land, that price might not be extraordinary expensive.

The problem might not be the demand, but more on the various options. I don't have the numbers, but I imagine that Bromont is the most lucrative area as they own the land around the ski resort and have been selling lots for, maybe, the last 20 years. Sutton, Orford... and to a lesser extent, Owl's Head had their own clientele for second homes to day trips from Montreal, Magog or Sherbrooke.

Mont Echo closed around 1980 after a few bad snow season. I don't have great memories of Mt. Echo, but terrain hasn't as interesting as the other Eastern Townships areas including Glen. I don't recall ever skiing at Shefford, if I did, it would have been in the 1970s. Glen terrain is definitely interesting and elevation might also be greater. There is a few communities within a short drive from Glen.

For a bit of history, my parents meet at Glen Mountain in 1963.
 

For a bit of background, Peter White was also part of a group that owned Norquay 20 years ago.​

CBC News: How a man in Quebec's Eastern Townships is reviving his family's beloved ski hill​

Peter White is hoping to bring Mont Glen back after its closure 18 years ago​

PETER WHITE TO RE-ACQUIRE MONT GLEN, REOPEN IT TO THE PUBLIC​

www.saminfo.com

Peter White to Re-acquire Mont Glen, Reopen It to the Public

SAM Magazine—West Bolton, Quebec, Aug. 24, 2022—Former owner Peter White has purchased Mont Glen for CAD $6.1 million and plans to reopen the ski area in s
www.saminfo.com www.saminfo.com

Accepted offer for Glen Mountain Ski Hill spreads hope, enthusiasm across Eastern Townships​

canada-info.ca

Accepted offer for Glen Mountain Ski Hill spreads hope, enthusiasm across Eastern Townships - Canada Info

For years, the Glen Mountain Ski Hill was an economic force for West Bolton and the Town of Brome Lake, where many people passed through, with bumper to bumper traffic coming from all directions. It holds a special spot in the memories of Townshippers and those that visited the area…
canada-info.ca canada-info.ca

MONT GLEN: THE COMEBACK​

skiandbikemag.com

MONT GLEN: THE COMEBACK

BREAKING: Peter White to buy Glen Mountain and reopen it!Glen Mountain ski hill (officially "Mont Glen") sits just outside of the
skiandbikemag.com skiandbikemag.com
 
Does Patrick think Mont Glen is viable without snowmaking? In its favor from view on Google Earth:
1) North facing
2) Consistent intermediate pitch, probably decently covered by 2 feet or so
3) Surrounded by thick forest, so perhaps not too much wind

2022-23 looks like strictly earned turns. It's hard to see how that does much for the local economy, which was a recurring lament in those articles about the past 18 years of closure.

At least one of the articles noted that regional skiing is stagnant or declining (also true in the eastern US per Kottke) as evidenced by Mont Echo and Mont Shefford closures in addition to Glen.

Mont Echo closed after the 1977-78 season. It's so overgrown by now that it took me over 20 minutes to find it on Google Earth when James and Patrick told me Echo was important enough to include in the kml file.
 
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Tony Crocker said:
Does Patrick think Mont Glen is viable without snowmaking?
1) North facing
2) Consistent intermediate pitch, probably decently covered by 2 feet or so
3) Surrounded by thick forest, so perhaps not too much wind
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Viable? It could open without snowmaking, but to be viable it would need some snowmaking.
There is a great book on the culture and vibe of Glen by Brian Eddington. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2720803-out-of-bounds

Tony Crocker said:
At least one of the articles noted that regional skiing is stagnant or declining (also true in the eastern US per Kottke) as evidenced by Mont Echo and Mont Shefford closures in addition to Glen.
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Shefford was never in the same category as Glen or Echo. My recollection from Echo is a long flat with the steep part near the top. Similar to chair I at Sutton. On a sidetone, Sutton Chair V is the old Mont Echo that was moved and installed at Sutton after Echo closed.
 
Patrick said:
Peter White was also part of a group that owned Norquay 20 years ago.
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I may have brought it up in a separate thread that while skiing at Mont Glen 18 years ago (my article, originally posted on Snowjournal), I noticed two different patrollers wearing Norquay ski coats. I asked them why and they mentioned the Peter White connection and that Mont Glen season passes were also good at Norquay. He apparently sold it in 2006.

Hard to believe that someone actually published a book about tiny Mont Glen. I'd be interested to check it out; however, there can't be much of an audience for it.

Looking at Patrick's old links above reminds me what a shame it was that Christophe and Geneviève weren't able to save Zoneski's valuable forum content. Oh well, good to see that they continue to post lots of articles.
 
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jamesdeluxe said:
Looking at Patrick's old links above reminds me what a shame it was that Christophe and Geneviève weren't able to save Zoneski's valuable forum content. Oh well, good to see that they continue to post lots of articles.
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From my understanding the content wasn't lost, it was just the fact that the ZS's forum wasn't a priority for them.
 
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Oh well...

Glen Mountain has a new owner, but not Peter White.

No news who the new owner is or what are their intentions?

MONT GLEN: SALE TO PETER WHITE FALLS THROUGH​

skiandbikemag.com

MONT GLEN: SALE TO PETER WHITE FALLS THROUGH

Breaking news concerning the sale of Glen Mountain:The Sale to Peter White has fallen through.Today, November 4th, 2022, As expected,
skiandbikemag.com skiandbikemag.com
 
It makes sense why White didn't buy it (interest rates, likely recession). One suspects that the new owner won't operate it as a ski hill, which was a labo(u)r of love for Peter.
 
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