Asessippi counting on flood relief to save ski season

BRANDON — Asessippi Ski Area and Resort remains optimistic about the coming ski season, but is depending on disaster financial assistance to repair roughly $2.2 million in flood damage, a spokesperson said.

The ski resort plans to replace several pieces of equipment, including motors for destroyed lift shacks that power the Porcupine and Bear chairlifts, compressors and a pumphouse for snowmaking, and a damaged transformer, assistant manager Shannon Johnston said.

Some of the work will only take place this year if provincial funding is provided for relief from flood damage in June and July, she said.

“There is some stuff we are paying for, but we don’t have $2.2 million extra laying around for all of this. So yeah, we do need the help,” Johnston said. “We are looking at over $2 million in cost for replacement of these things.”

Daily meetings are being held about the upcoming ski season, she said. Ski resort staff are expected to make an announcement about operational impacts by Nov. 6, when the fall pass sale begins.

“That’s kind of my make-or-break date that I am putting in place. We have to let everyone know before we do this pass sale, so everyone is very well aware of what to expect,” Johnston said.

“We are still shooting to open everything when we can make enough snow. We’re still being optimistic,” she said.

“If at any point we see that that’s going to change, we are going to let the public know.”

The ski resort’s website posts a tentative opening date of Dec. 11. The staff typically start producing snow for the hill — which is supplied using 100 per cent snowmaking — around Nov. 16.

Staff are hopeful that the resort will receive disaster assistance funding, Johnston said.

“We’re coming up against it in the next week or so. Time will tell very quickly.”

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said Friday that provincial officials are still assessing the damage claim for the ski hill. She did not say when the decision would be made about disaster relief, nor about how much assistance could be offered.

“We recognize the impacts flooding has had on affected individuals, businesses and organizations,” Naylor said in an email to the Brandon Sun. “My department is continuing to work through the disaster financial assistance process and assess eligible claims. Assessments for Assessipi Ski Hill remain ongoing.”

Grant Boryskavich, reeve of the RM of Riding Mountain West, where the ski hill is located, said residents have voiced their frustration expressed about the assistance program.

“Everything I’ve been hearing from people, not just in our municipality, but other municipalities … they’re just not hearing answers, and that’s the frustrating part for people,” Boryskavich said. “The damages are there, the people have come out, they’ve taken the photos, they’ve looked at the damage, they’ve estimated the damage, and you know they’re waiting for money to get rolling.”

He said the ski resort is a critical attraction for the region, and the municipality would lose out on tourism and spinoffs if the ski hill is not able to operate at full capacity this year.

“For our municipality, it’s just a huge economic driver,” Boryskavich said. “Roughly from what we’ve been told, there’s probably like 70,000 people that go through the ski hill every winter with kids and tours.”

The ski resort was impacted by massive flooding this summer at Lake of the Prairies and the Shell River. Floodwater destroyed a service road, “pummelled” a pump house and submerged other key equipment.

An “enormous” cleanup is still underway as silt and grime were deposited during the flow of water through the area, Johnston said.

The resort currently provides internet to cottages using a generator that is filled several times a day, as a transformer was destroyed by the flooding.

The lodge and a number of shops were not damaged, she said.

The Highway 83 bridge over the Shell River was also significantly damaged and has been out of operation since the storm. It is expected to be open to traffic in December.

Fifty-two local states of emergency were declared and more than 1,300 kilometres of roads were affected by the flooding, including 100 highway locations and 63 damaged bridges.

The province said last month it had received in excess of 2,500 applications for disaster aid.

A separate flood recovery program was opened to people from select communities who don’t qualify for disaster aid. — Brandon Sun