Mere months have passed since Alterra Mountain Company acquired Intrawest and already, the news is out. As you might expect, the announcement was received with great enthusiasm by fans of the mountain and justly so, as it’s the biggest investment in skiing and hospitality infrastructure at Tremblant since the end of the ‘90s.

The news was revealed in the presence of several dignitaries on Monday, March 12, in the Place Saint-Bernard. Federal MP David Graham, member for Labelle Sylvain Pagé, and acting mayor of Mont-Tremblant Roxanne Lacasse joined representatives of Tourisme Mont-Tremblant and of the Chambre de commerce of Greater Mont-Tremblant to greet these new investments.

“We welcome this news with great enthusiasm,” declared Roxanne Lacasse. “It brings support for the development of tourism, which is our primary industry.”

Over five years, $555 million

The same day, Alterra Mountain Company revealed that $555 million would be invested, over the coming five years, in its full group of 12 destinations. Of this amount, $130 million will be invested for the 2018-2019 season. For Station Mont Tremblant, the investments will translate into replacement of the Lowell Thomas lift, renovation and enlargement of the Grand Manitou, development of new glades and renovation of the Fourchette du Diable.

“All construction will be carried out this summer and completed for next season,” said Patrice Malo, president and chief operating officer of Station Mont Tremblant.

An increase of 600 skiers an hour

The Lowell Thomas triple fixed chairlift, which gives access to the upper section of the North Side, will be replaced by a detachable-grip quad lift from the manufacturer Doppelmayer. With its greater capacity and faster speed, the lift will move 600 additional skiers per hour.

Le Grand Manitou will get a facelift       

The Grand Manitou, the main building located at the top of the mountain, will be renovated, as well as being enlarged by 3,910 square feet. The construction will, in particular, permit the full renovation of the restaurant space and seating for an additional 400 persons. The contract to draw up the plans was awarded to the firm L’Ecuyer Lefaivre.

Renovation of the Fourchette du Diable          

Located at the base of the North Side of the mountain, La Fourchette du Diable will also be enlarged, making the north section of the building permanent and providing greater comfort for its users. An annex will be built to house the ski patrol premises.

Mountain investments

The acquisition of 31 high-efficiency snow cannons will strengthen the snow-making capability of Station Mont Tremblant (SMT). “Five new glades totalling 50 acres will bring the total Tremblant skiable terrain to 101 runs on 715 acres,” the SMT announced. The newly developed sectors will be on the North Side and the Edge.

Renovation of the Chalet des Voyageurs restrooms, renovation of part of the high-performance rental equipment and replacement of 150 golf carts are also in the works for this year.

New season passes for 2018 – 2019

Just one week prior to this announcement, Tremblant had revealed its new 2018 – 2019 passes, to be added to the new Ikon passes launched in February. The Ikon passes provide access to Tremblant as well as permitting its holders to explore 25 iconic North American ski destinations. Among the new products announced, the new Tonik pass – which replaces the Sumblime pass – offers 118 days of skiing, including 28 weekend days, on a pre-determined calendar. The first phase of the sales period ends April 9.

These new season passes announced by Alterra met strong resistance from holders of student passes, however, who saw the price of their mountain access double. Tremblant states that it is listening to its customer base and anticipates reviewing its offer. According to Patrice Malo, providing access to 12 Alterra destinations in addition to 14 other ski areas meant that the organization had to review – and raise – the prices of its passes.

“We knew that it would be an issue for the student market,” said Mr. Malo at the investments announcement in response to a question from a young skier. “We have communicated with representatives of this market to let them know that a new range of products adapted to the needs of students would be revealed this fall,” he concluded.