Major surge in attendance at Lively Ski Hill last winter, report says
A report going to city council June 10 recommends that the Lively Ski Hill stay open and resume capital projects that were previously approved and put on hold.
A report going to city council June 10 recommends that the Lively Ski Hill stay open and resume capital projects that were previously approved and put on hold.
The future of the hill was in doubt last summer when Sudbury city council debated whether to spend close to $775,000 in capital work at the hill.
Ski hill sign
A report going to city council June 10 recommends that the Lively Ski Hill stay open and resume capital projects that were previously approved and put on hold.
(File)
Councillors voted to delay capital spending but allowed the hill to open for another season using existing equipment to see whether attendance would recover after several challenging seasons.
In addition to closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the extremely warm winter led to a short season and a big drop in attendance.
A local effort to save the hill – and a more normal winter – saw attendance increase from a total of 715 in the 2023-2024 season to 4,052 in the 2024-2025 season.
'Was super excited when I saw the report and how the community really came together to put their support behind this,' said Ward 2 Coun. Eric Benoit.
Cost recovery is key
The surge in attendance allowed the hill to recover 39 per cent of its operating costs last winter, compared to just 6.7 per cent a year earlier.
'They told us that we needed to get people to come out to the hill,' said David Kurt, from the hill's planning committee.
'We know that we needed to get to 65 per cent cost recovery ... We're actually quite a bit shy of that, at about 40 per cent. But to see the numbers at over 4,000 people was just absolutely incredible.'
Kurt said the committee did several things to increase traffic, including things like adding fire pits and seating at the bottom of the hill, as well as creating Friday fun nights.
'The first one we did was, I think it was retro night, but then we had beaver tails there,' he said.
Ski hill lift
The Lively hill's 1960s-era T-bar lift will be replaced.
(File)
'There was an hour lineup … They had no idea it was gonna' be that busy. They sold out of product that night. We were told that there (were) between 300 and 400 people at the hill that night. So just like last year, we didn't even see those numbers – like, we saw 700 people all season long.'
Matt Foy's father, Gary Foy, was one of the people who brought this hill to life in 1963. When he heard the news that city staff recommended the hill stay open, Foy was elated.
'It makes me very, very happy,' he said.
'It just goes to show the power of community. And it just makes me thrilled to know that this is happening.'
While the city looked for an outside operator to come in and run the hill, it didn't attract any bids. So the report recommended it remain operated by the city.
'I think we actually did prove that it can generate enough income to be city-run, for now,' Foy said.
'And we'll just keep going with that. And if we need to, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.'
Staff also recommends that lift equipment removed from the Capreol location be installed at the Lively Ski Hill to replace the existing 1960s-era T-bar system.
They also recommend that capital funds remain paused until the Lively Recreation Advisory Panel moves forward. Council will vote on the report at Tuesday's meeting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
33 minutes ago
- National Post
Argonauts drop to 0-2 after 29-19 loss to Stampeders
Vernon Adams Jr. and Dedrick Mills scored fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the unbeaten Calgary Stampeders past the winless Toronto Argonauts 29-19 on a breezy Saturday afternoon. Article content Adams Jr.'s eight-yard scamper at 7:43 put Calgary ahead 26-11. It came after Lirim Hajrullahu's 47-yard field goal at 5:08 cut Toronto's deficit to 19-11. Article content Mills put Calgary ahead 19-8 with a one-yard scoring run at 1:19. Both Adams Jr. and Mills capped 70-yard scoring drives. Article content Toronto's Nick Arbuckle made it interesting with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Damonte Coxie at 9:50. Then the '24 Grey Cup MVP ran in for the two-point convert to cut Calgary's lead to 26-19. Article content But Rene Paredes cemented the win for Calgary (2-0) with a 23-yard field goal at 13:45. A BMO Field gathering of 17,902 watched the Argos (0-2) raise their Grey Cup banner before the opening kickoff. Article content Calgary earned the victory despite losing all-star receiver Reggie Begelton (knee). Begelton went down on the second play from scrimmage and needed help to leave the field. Article content Begelton later returned to the Stampeders sidelines on crutches and ice taped to his right knee. Article content Toronto lost middle linebacker Wynton McManis (knee) and starting running back Deonta McMahon (ankle) to first-half injuries. Article content Adrian Greene had Calgary's other touchdown. Paredes booted three field goals and a convert. Article content Hajrullahu booted three field goals and a single. John Haggerty added a single. Article content Article content Hajrullahu's 45-yard field goal at 13:06 of the third cut Calgary's lead to 12-8. Article content Paredes' 23-yard field goal into the wind at 5:38 gave Calgary a 12-4 lead. Haggerty's 83-yard punt single at 6:32 pulled Toronto to within 12-5. Article content Hajrullahu's 45-yard field goal to end the second quarter cut Calgary's halftime lead to 9-4. It followed a successful pass-interference challenge by Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie that put the ball at the Stampeders' 45-yard line with 13 seconds to play. Article content Both offences struggled establishing the run in the first half as Toronto had just 28 yards, three more than the Stamps. And neither unit was able to navigate effectively with or against the wind. Article content Greene staked Calgary to a 9-1 lead with a 40-yard pick-six at 8:56. He stepped in front of Nick Arbuckle's pass for David Ungerer III and ran untouched into the end zone. Article content There was no convert attempt due to an errant snap. Article content
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Philadelphia Phillies top Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 with Kepler's tiebreaking homer in the eighth
Max Kepler hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Cristopher Sánchez pitched seven strong innings for Philadelphia, which managed just four hits while winning its fourth in the last five. The Phillies will try for the three-game series sweep behind ace Zack Wheeler on Sunday. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an RBI double for the Blue Jays. Toronto had won 12 of 14 before dropping the first two in Philadelphia. The Phillies once again played without two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper, who is sidelined indefinitely with a wrist injury. Orion Kerkering (5-2) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Matt Strahm tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save. With one out in the eighth, Kepler drove a 2-0, 95-miles-per-hour fastball off Chad Green (2-2) into the seats in right field. Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis was cruising through 3 2/3 innings before unravelling. Francis walked Nick Castellanos and Kepler, and hit J.T. Realmuto to load the bases. A walk to Bryson Stott tied the game at one, and Philadelphia took a 2-1 lead when Francis hit Otto Kemp to end the right-hander's day. 12.46 — Francis' ERA in his last three starts in which he has allowed 12 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. The teams wrap up their three-game series Sunday afternoon when Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (2-2, 3.38 ERA) opposes Wheeler (6-2, 2.85).
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Blue Jays in danger of getting swept in Philadelphia following five straight series wins
No one is about to push the panic button, but some might be inclined following two straight losses when the Blue Jays' offence was conspicuous by its silence. Article content Win five series in a row and expectations are automatically raised, series against inferior and superior opposition when the Jays' bats were brimming with confidence. Article content Article content A sweep in Philadelphia is now possible following Saturday's 3-2 loss, one game after the Jays were handed an 8-0 loss to the Phillies. Article content Article content Toronto has not been swept since its ill-fated stay in Tampa last month. Article content The following are three takeaways on an afternoon at Citizens Bank Park where Toronto's lineup had a difficult time trying to generate any offence against Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez, who was charged with a run following a successful challenge initiated by the Blue Jays. Article content 1. Good Bowden, bad Bowden Article content Amid so much tumult and a body of work that would normally land a player in the minors, kudos to Bowden Francis, the Jays' embattled starter who has not looked the part. Article content Truth be told, he hasn't looked good at all. Article content When he took to the mound Saturday, Francis was minus his familiar mustache. Article content Whatever works when so little has worked for the right-hander. Article content Article content One has to go back to April 18 to find the last time Francis earned a win. Article content Things went well against the Phillies, who hit two loud outs through the opening two innings, each caught at the warning track. Article content Article content The Jays are in this pitching pinch knowing the staff features only three reliable and legitimate starters, which is why trying to unlock Bowden is crucial. Article content Article content The plan is for the veteran to throw a side session Sunday before Scherzer makes another start in Triple-A next Wednesday. Article content The first hit he allowed came in the third inning with two outs.
