Ontario officials announced Monday that the province will start a 28-day lockdown starting Boxing Day (12/26) to try to curb the surge of COVID-19 cases.
The order restricts indoor gatherings with separate households, forces all non-essential businesses to close and requires essential businesses to operate at reduces capacity. Ski resorts fall under the non-essential category, requiring the resorts to close during the busiest time of the year.
There have been no outbreaks related to ski resorts in Ontario and resorts in Ontario have spent millions on COVID-19 precautions, enforcing social distancing and masks requirements as well as reduced capacity in and outdoors.
Blue Mountain is forced to close for 28 days just 6 days after opening for the season.
Copyright: Blue Mountain Facebook
The shutdown is "devastating to not only ourselves as operators, but to the communities," Jim Hemlin, chief operating officer for the Calabogie Peaks Resort told CBC News.
Parks, skating rinks and snowshoe trails are permitted to stay open during the lockdown, leaving ski area leaders perplexed at the decision to close the ski hills.
Ski resorts across the border in Quebec are permitted to operate with restrictions that include no dining, rentals or ski school classes. Borders to the United States remain closed to non-essential travel. Under the current guidelines Ontario ski areas are permitted to re-open January, 24, 2021.
