Tips for Marble Mountain on how to make a ski hill about more than just snow

The summer months were once a time ofwell-earned rest for ski hill managers, but things are different now forBill Anderson.

The general manager of New Brunswick's Poley Mountaindoesn't stray too far from his cellphone in July, as he and his team book eventsto see them throughtheir snowless months.

There are weddings. Fundraisers. Craft beertastings. An annual fall festival.

"It takes time, and a lot of effort," said Anderson.

"Everybody's in the same situation.Everybody would like to do something year-round so you can keep your employees and help cover a few bills."

Catching up with the rest of Canada

Poley and other Atlantic Canadianski hills lag behind those in the rest of the country for four-season attractions, Anderson said, but there is an increasing focus on bringing in money all year round. This summer, for example, Poleyis installing a lookout atop its peak as part of an effort to attract moreATVs.

Now it looks like the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is thinking along the same lines.

On the eve of the Canada Day long weekend, the provincequietly put Marble Mountain theresort just outside Corner Brook on the market, issuing a request for proposals that could include buying or leasing parts of the operation.

"Government probably are not the best managers of a ski hill,"finance minister Tom Osborne said when he announced the government's decision.

Government probably are not the best managers of a ski hill.- Finance minister Tom Osborne at the RFP announcement for Marble Mountain

The publicly owned resort, the largest ski hill in Atlantic Canada,has long been a money-losing venture. With both skiable days and resortvisits declining, it appears the province has had enough.

• Money-losing ski resort needs private operator, Finance Minister says

And while Anderson isn't interested in applying "that probably would not happen," he says, sounding tiredany potentialMarble developers might want to take his lead andpayattention to wider trends, as the ski resort industry across Canada positions itself as being about more than snowy slopes.

From to go karts to slip 'n' slides

"The diversification of experiences at ski areas is definitely something we're seeing across the industry," said Christopher Nicholson,president of the Canada West Ski Areas Association, an industry group with a cross-countrymembership that includes Marble Mountain.

Mountains both in and outside of North America have moved towardyear-round operations, often accompanied by splashy branding.

Banff's Sunshine Village has Sunshine Meadows, offering summer trail hikes and sightseeing gondola rides. Sun Peaks Resort in B.C. runs a mountain cross cart course, which it bills as "a gravity-fuelled go-kart."HorseshoeResort, an hour north of Toronto, recently installed what it calls "one of the world's longest slip 'n' slides," with 1,000 feet of water-soaked vinyl running downone of their easy ski runs.

"For more of a destination ski area with larger infrastructure, those ski areas are making more substantial investments intotheir summer product, whether this is zip lines, whether this is coasters," said Nicholson.

Someresortsleavethe outdoors out of it altogether: the nation's largest resort,Whistler-Blackcomb, announced in 2016 a $345-million plan to build "weather-independent" year-round attractions. (Since being bought by American resort giant Vail, some of those plans have been shelved.)

In between booking weddings atPoley, Anderson has been paying attention.

"They've got more money to spend, and that helps. They're owned by bigger pockets and people who have money outside the skiing industry that can put money into that kind of stuff. Here in AtlanticCanada it's a bit different, but we do the best we can."

Unless Vail gets involved the company did not respond to CBC's request for information any potential entrepreneurs at Marble probably don't have similarly deep pockets. But Nicholson said even smaller hillsare doing their part to diversify.

"Maybe it's mountain bike trails, maybe it's simplylow-cost things likefrisbeegolf."

Nicholson said reusingski infrastructure in summer is one budget-conscious way to diversify,whether its sightseeing from a gondola or using the chairlift to avail of new terrain,capitalize on the great views that come from great heightsand harness humanity's affinity for enjoying gravity in different ways.

"It's difficult to say that one thing works, because geography and interest in the regional market varies so much," he said.

Consider Colorado

There are cases elsewhere in Canada where a government-run or non-profit model does work for a resort, Nicholson said, especially inrural areas, where facilities function as a social service of sorts in the way a local curling club or ice rink might.

Interest in the sport isn'tflagging out west: according to the most recent statistics from Canada West, there were 9.2 million ski visits atresorts from Manitoba westward in the 2016-17 season, representing an increase from the previous year.

However, Atlantic Canada captures only two per cent of Canadian ski visits,and Marble's numbers have been on a downward trend for years. And the timeline onthe government's request for proposals (RFP)for the resort is tight, with a proposal deadline of August 3.

"If you want to do financials, and go into the operations of the resort for the last number of years to see what you're dealing with, a month is not a lot of time," said Roger Jamieson, a man who knows a thing or two about Marble's financesas a past chair of the resort's development corporation from 2000-2007.

Who's going to run a ski hill that's lost a million dollars last year?- Roger Jamieson, former chair of Marble Mountain's development corporation

"Who's going to run a ski hill that's lost a million dollars last year?"

But even Jamiesonsees promise at Marble Mountain, including condo or restaurant development.

"Your imagination could take you just about anywhere."

So ...does he want to buy it?

"Ihaven't been running to the bank running to buy Marble, no."

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