ORO-MEDONTE, ONT. -- Snow hasn't hit the ground yet, but the region's ski resorts are already seeing a higher than usual demand.
Horseshoe Resort in Oro-Medonte hit record numbers in its pre-season pass sale. But COVID-19 has changed operations.
"People just want to guarantee their time on the slopes, and not knowing how the situation may change and how we might be required to cap numbers, we've definitely encouraged people to buy early," said Laura Kiley, director of marketing.
According to Kiley, both all-access passes and ski and lodging packages have been wildly popular. There has also been a shift in demand spread out through weekdays compared to previous years with higher crowds on weekends.
Kiley said it could be attributed to people having flexible schedules or working from home.
As for the crowd, it's expected that the resort will see more people travelling from the GTA and other parts of Ontario., similarly to what they experienced this past summer.
Barrie's Snow Valley reports a sales growth of around 10 per cent, which is also anticipated to grow as the season begins.
"Between tubing, skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing, I think we'll see a fair bit of activity," said Peter Hanney, assistant manager.
Hanney said staff is eager for temperatures to drop to start making snow.
Last season, Mount St. Louis Moonstone in Coldwater started the season on Nov. 15.
Manager Robert Huter said while this season will start closer to the beginning of December, it's looking like it'll be a busy one.
"Our full passes, we sold out in 24 hours. So that was just unbelievable," said Huter. "We thought it was going to take a few days or at least a week, so demand is big."
The resort will be operating at a 65 per cent capacity, so there will be a smaller number of day and night passes available.
All resorts in the region encourage those looking to take a trip to the slopes to book in advance online.
