Advertisement

Marble Mountain exceeded expectations this winter, now turning focus to summer cruise ship season

Marble Mountain is winding down its ski season but the doors will remain open all summer long.  (Colleen Connors/CBC - image credit)
Marble Mountain is winding down its ski season but the doors will remain open all summer long. (Colleen Connors/CBC - image credit)
Colleen Connors/CBC
Colleen Connors/CBC

While winter is winding down, Marble Mountain is ramping up.

The provincial government-owned ski resort near Corner Brook will soon start making the transformation into a year-round attraction.

"It was a great year for us. We're well over 60 days on the season right now, we've been doing some night riding. We've been having a lot of fun on the mountain," general manager Richard Wells told CBC News on Thursday.

"[We've had] increased numbers. Right from the start we've had well over our expected numbers of season pass holders.… We're definitely going to exceed our skier expectations this season."

Wells said the Marble staff are targeting April 15 as the final weekend of the ski season, maybe even into May.

After that, the whole operation is shifting into summer mode.

"We're extremely excited. Last year, I guess, was our first year in Marble Mountain history, in my opinion, that we had not shut the doors," Well said.

"This season, we're actually going heavily after the 33 cruise ships that are coming into port for Corner Brook."

Colleen Connors/CBC
Colleen Connors/CBC

Visitors can expect to ride the Lightning Express — the mountain's chair lift — both up and down the mountain this summer.

There will also be a newly built viewing platform on the peak, which will give visitors a view of the Bay of Islands below.

The resort will also still offer some its popular attractions such as mountain bike trails, Wells said, and there will be an expansion this year.

"[There will be] lots of events during the summer — music and conferences. The Marble Villa as well has been a great profit run for us," said Wells.

"The team that we've got right now, it's a lot of fun. As a local, as a die-hard skier, I know what Marble can be. It's time for us to use it for what it should be and we're putting in every effort that we can."

Wells said he's confident the resort is on the right track to being profitable.

The province has tried to offload the resort in the past, starting in 2018 with the issuing of request for proposals that ended in 2021 without a deal. Just three submissions were received over that time period.

The Greene report, published in May 2021, also suggested selling off the asset.

"This is not the type of business that government should operate," stated the report, adding the resort also "requires expertise the government does not have."

The resort is subsidized by the province with about $1 million annually.

Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador