Ski resorts prepared to welcome thousands this March Break
Ski hills across the region are open for business and anticipating tens of thousands of skiers to hit the slopes as March Break officially begins.
Despite the warmer-than-typical weather, some people got an early start to March Break, including Pierce Warner, who checked out the slopes at Snow Valley Ski Resort in Barrie.
"They started off a bit chunky and solid, but then they kind of turned a little softer, and it turned out pretty good."
- Download the CTV News app free to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The hills at Snow Valley weren't busy with skiers on Friday, but that is expected to change with students off next week, so staff are making preparations.
"We finished our snowmaking. We have about a 75 to 80-centimetre base average everywhere right across the resort. We have 20 for 20 runs open, and a dozen runs at the tube park are fully open," said John Ball, Snow Valley Resort general manager.
Officials with Snow Valley and Blue Mountain said they would be moving snow around over the next several days to prolong the life of the season.
"The plan is to keep people outside, keep people on the slopes. We are going to have top to bottom runs throughout the entire March Break and will keep them busy with tons of activities for the whole family," said Blue Mountain Resort's Tara Lovell.
March Break is typically one of the busiest weeks of the season at the Collingwood resort, which has 28 of 43 trails open and ready for skiers.
"You are seeing those bare spots but that's just because we are moving the snow into areas so that it's safer for our skiers and riders" said Lovell.
Blue Mountain said it would consider making more snow if the cooler weather returns, which is in the forecast.
John Ball at Snow Valley said they typically see about 30,000 skiers over March Break.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.