Changes in works at Blue Mountain as re-opening preparations continue

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Blue Mountain Resort was still in the midst of its busy winter season.

Now the popular summer season is just around the corner, and the resort hopes to soon welcome back visitors to its many activities and attractions.

While some shops in Blue Mountain Village have started to open up again to the public, the resort’s many activities that draw in the public remain closed, with work continuing to ready them for when the OK is given.

“The resort is extensively planning and re-imagining what the operation is going to look like should we be given the go ahead to open,” Tara Lovell, the public relations manager at the resort, said Tuesday. “A lot of consideration is being put into every facet of Blue Mountain Resort.”

Lovell said it has been a huge task for the resort as they are a very diverse operation with a number of attractions, which in the summer includes everything from its ropes and ziplines, to kayak, canoe and Segway activities, to experiences such as the Plunge aquatic centre and the Ridge Runner mountain coaster. The resort also offers Monterra Golf as well as hotels and lodging.

The resort abruptly shut down on March 15, just prior to March Break and with ski season in full swing. After the initial monitoring phase, task forces made up of employees have been planning next steps and reopening measures for specific attractions, such as line queues, staff contact and public health and safety.

“Similar to ski season, after Thanksgiving we kind of shift gears to the winter and that means being ready as soon as Mother Nature is,” Lovell said. “Similarly we have to do the same exercise for summer at Blue, so as much as possible we are getting what we can ready for when we can open up and welcome guests back.”

One big change when the resort does reopen is the public will need a pass to access the majority of the attractions and the mountain itself.

“It is to make sure the capacity and the flow is managed as safely as possible,” Lovell said, adding capacity will be monitored and attractions will operate at a reduced capacity to what they did in years past.

“It will be less in previous years partly because of our social environment we are in right now. There are still a lot of people who are leading with caution understandably,” said Lovell. “The operational update of needing a pass to access mountain and attractions will hopefully also keep those numbers reduced so that we can still operate as Blue Mountain Resort, but it won’t be at near the numbers we would have in previous summers.”

Lovell said hiking at Blue has been growing in popularity in recent years and had become unsustainable as a free attraction based solely on the number of people that it has attracted and the wear and tear it has had on the resort grounds.

“Going forward it will be a trail network that will be mapped out and one directional actually to support the safe physical distancing as much as possible,” said Lovell. “The pass supports the maintenance and development of the trail, but it also helps us measure capacity.”

One activity that has already been ruled out for this summer is biking on Blue Mountain trails. Lovell said the activity won’t happen due to the logistics involved and the safety risks it poses, including transporting bikes on the gondola and the close contact it involves.

“Hopefully we can bring it back in future summers,” said Lovell. “This year has been a whole new perspective on how to open Blue Mountain for summer.”

And at the same time, Lovell said planning is in the works to also ensure safety measures are met during the resort’s signature ski season.

“I think the hope everybody has is that come winter we are at a better place with the pandemic, that we can have more confidence with what we can do anywhere outside of your home,” said Lovell.

“Our operations team is used to the four seasons approach to Blue Mountain so being nimble and thinking ahead about the next phase of the resort is something they are very used to.”

Lovell said the resort is looking forward to getting up and operating again. They are the largest destination in the area and a lot of locals and local businesses rely on the resort to be operating and driving tourism.

“We are keen to keep moving forward to bringing tourism back to the area,” said Lovell. “At the same time it is something we have to be very, very careful with.”

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