Located between New Brunswick’s three major cities, Poley Mountain is a winter destination for skiers and snowboarders alike. An early opening and the extra traffic it brings is a boost for the seasonal staff that works there and the local economy.
For the first time in years, Poley Mountain had a November opening. People of all ages flocked to the hill this weekend, the early snowfall has made for perfect skiing and snowboarding conditions.
“Our winter season is sometimes short and it provides us a longer period of time to come out and play on the hill,” says Melissa Steeves, who was at Poley Mountain Sunday.
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Poley Mountain has over 200 employees, opening early means more hours for staff and more revenue for the resort
“It’s nice to be able to get them four to five months’ work because it is a seasonal job, and so when you get started early it gets people in, it gets people working, it gets skiers here and puts money back in the economy in the Sussex area,” says Bill Anderson, general manager of the hill.
Snow School Ski instructor Jamie Touchie says the early and heavy snowfall motivates people to come out to the hill.
“They tend to call the hill a lot more to try and book for lessons and book for our camps especially the holiday camps around December,” said Touchie.
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Skiers of all ages are welcome at the hill’s Snow School.
The mountain gets 85,000 to 90,000 visits a year and is open between 92 to 100 days, depending on the weather.