Stony Mountain Ski Area posts ‘for sale’ sign

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This article was published 01/12/2022 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The long-time owners of Stony Mountain Ski Area are putting the business up for sale, after being closed for two years due to COVID-19 concerns.

“It’s time to look at our next chapter,” said Heather Dewar, 64, who, along with husband Gary, 70, have decided it’s time for retirement after operating the facility (located 10 kilometres north of the Perimeter Highway) for more than 30 years.

Being closed during the pandemic gave the couple time to reflect on their future, Dewar said Thursday. “It’s a mom-and-pop operation, so it’s a… lot of work.”

The co-owners didn’t want to navigate government regulations that came with COVID-19, which is why they decided to close in December 2020. They later announced they were foregoing the 2021-22 and 2022-23 ski seasons.

“Small businesses, you go, ‘Wow, you know, like just how hard is this going to be to ensure people are safe?’” Dewar said. “We didn’t want to figure it out.”

The hill was built in 1967, and the Dewar family bought the land in 1988. They’ve been living on the property in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood ever since.

Stony Mountain offers one handle and one rope tow, leading to six runs off 100 feet of vertical, its website says.

“We both worked full-time throughout the majority of the time that we also operated the hill. So (it was) busy. Winter went fast,” Dewar said.

The couple does have mixed feelings about selling.

“It’s been a major part of our lives. Our daughter grew up here and couldn’t have been a better backyard for a kid,” she said.

Stony Mountain was one of the first ski hills in Manitoba to welcome snowboarders, Dewar added. Many customers and staff have since entered the skiing and snowboarding industry, she said.

“It’s part of the legacy of a little bump on the prairie here and how much impact you had in people’s lives. A lot of teenagers and youth, this was their place that they hung out in -20 (C).”

There have been a lot of changes to the hill over the years, including adding more runs and upgrading the snow making system, Dewar said.

The family hopes the land’s new owners keep running the ski hill.

“It’s a great jewel for the Interlake,” she said. “Whoever takes it over can take it to the next level.”

While Stony Mountain Ski Area is shuttering, other hills are just getting started for the season.

“I know most people aren’t ready for winter, but we welcome this -20 (recent weather). We have -20 out here, and it’s fantastic for more snow making,” said Shannon Johnston, assistant manager at Asessippi Ski Area and Resort, about a four-hour drive northwest of Winnipeg.

Asessippi did not close down during the pandemic, she said. “The main focus for us during COVID was just keeping people, allowing them to be able to ski and snowboard and get outside.”

Nevertheless, Johnston said the facility still took a hard hit. “We basically had to change our whole way we did business the last two years.”

The resort’s school program, which welcomes students from across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario for day or overnight trips, was essentially shut down during the pandemic.

The loss it caused is immeasurable, Johnston said, since the program normally allows the business to stay open during weekdays, and such students tend to be repeat customers, or even staff, later in life.

“Food and beverage was basically nonexistent for a while. We tried to do a sort of a pickup/takeout, but we lost out on bar and food and beverage sales immensely,” she added.

In 2022-23, Johnston said the issue is staffing and inflation. It has hired about 80 workers for the season, but the resort still needs about 20 more.

Meanwhile, fuel for the chair lift is more expensive, and everything in the food and beverage industry has gone up, Johnston said.

“We certainly need to have a good year. The struggle is real this year.”

Asessippi Ski Resort is set to open Saturday.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca