Timmins ski resort operator stunned by ski hill closure during Ontario lockdown

The manager of a ski resort in Timmins says ski hill shutdowns throughout the province will be devastating to resort owners.

Eric Philipow,the general manager of the Mount Jamieson Resort, sayshe was caught off guard by the province's announcement this week. As part of the Ontario shutdown, all ski hills will have to close, starting Boxing Day.

It's a setback for Philipow, who says he opened the Mount Jamieson ski hills just a few weeks ago, after months spentpreparing for the season, andimplementing COVID-19 safety measures.

"Admittedly,we expected to potentially losethe indoor seating component and whatnot through these restrictions, but at no point did we ever think we would see a full operational shutdown of an entirely outdoor activity," he said.

Philipowsays he feels lucky to be in northern Ontario, because the shutdown will be shorter than in southern Ontario although he worries what will happen if the government extends lockdown measures.

No outbreaks, says provincial association

The decision is particularly perplexing as there have been no outbreaks associated with ski hills in the province, said Kevin Nichol, president of the Ontario Snow Resorts Association.

Even in the province's grey lockdown zones, hills have been able to stay open, Nichol said.

As late as last week,the province was telling him his sector would be receiving good news, he said.

"Something changed over the weekend," Nichol said. "We've asked about the rationale for that decision [we're] hoping that we can at least hear from the government why they decided to single out ski hills in Ontario."