Lack of snow cancels Searchmont opening day . . . again

Already pushed back once, the opening date for the ski resort in Searchmont has now become one big question mark.

A posting last night on the Searchmont Resort’s Facebook page says a new opening date will be announced, ‘when Mother Nature decides to bless us with more favourable weather conditions.’

Originally slated for an ambitious December 12 opening, that date was pushed to December 19 earlier this month due to unfavourable weather conditions.

A New Year’s Eve party at the resort, to feature fireworks and live music, is scheduled for December 31.

This will be the first full season SSAI takes on an operating-only role — after years of running it as owner-operator — as result of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation (EDC) buying out the mortgage for $750,000 and spending an additional $750,000 on unpaid bills.

The EDC spent almost $400,000 in improvements over the off-season and much of it will be paid back through a grant by the Northern Ontario Heritage Foundation Corporation.

The grant pre-existed the EDC’s ownership of the hill, but SSAI didn’t have the funds to access them.

Through the grant funding, hill remediation work was completed, equipment was repaired or purchased and some salaries can be subsidized.

(FILE PHOTO: Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)