With recent weeks’ snowfall already making many want to put on their ski boots, here are the most popular ski resorts – and the ones that still have a lot of work to do – according to a survey of Quebecers.
“Alpine skiing and snowboarding aren’t cheap, especially when you consider all the expenses for a day, such as food and equipment rental. That’s why it’s worth comparing the offers,” said Marie-Eve Shaffer, journalist at “Protégez-Vous,” in a press release on Tuesday.
A survey of 1,546 dedicated skiers who have visited various ski resorts over the past five years found that it is not the highest peaks that shine with Quebecers, for whom the price of admission, food offerings and changing rooms would play an important role, says the review.
First up was Le Relais Ski Center in the Capitale-Nationale, which stood out with a rating of 8.6 out of 10 and 92% of skiers would recommend it, closely followed by Owl’s Head in Estrie. and Val Saint-Côme in Lanaudière with 8.4 and 8.3 out of 10, respectively.
Unsurprisingly, however, the high cost of entry to certain centers deterred respondents who found the value of the ticket “too high for the experience provided,” the survey said.
This would be particularly the case for Massif de Charlevoix, Tremblant and Mont-Sainte-Anne, where a day ski ticket would charge $149, $135 and $126 respectively.
“Ski resort operating costs increased by approximately 20% from 2020 to 2022. Therefore, ticket prices have also increased,” noted Josée Cusson, director of communications and marketing at the Ski Resorts Association. ski du Québec (ASSQ), at “Protégez-vous”.
For others, it was the food offering of “poor quality” or a particularly expensive price-performance ratio that was the deciding factor, the study says.
“The vast majority of resorts receive only an Acceptable rating when it comes to food service. “Several respondents regret that the menus are not more nutritious,” said Marie-Ève Bergeron, project manager at “Protégez-Vous”.
At the bottom of the rankings, Mont-Sainte-Anne was recommended by just 32% of those who have visited in recent years, while many were particularly cautious about the resort’s safety after a ski lift collapsed last winter.