Several years ago, when Ski Canada Magazine asked its readers to name the nation’s most passionate skiers, Atlantic Canadians won. With good reason. To understand just how passionate they are, you need only look at the hardy souls who pioneered, developed and ski at Ben Eoin.
Ski Ben Eoin, Nova Scotia
Built By The Community, For The Community
Ski Hill:
Ski Ben Eoin
Location:
Ben Eoin, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Vertical:
153 m (502 ft.)
Snowfall:
259 cm (102 in.)
Map:
Find us here
Friends Join Forces in The Face of War
On March 18, 1940, while World War Two was raging overseas, some Cape Breton Islanders including Mr. M.R. Campbell and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Russell, formed the Sydney Ski Club (SSC). The group had often skied various nearby hills with their friends. As a club, they vowed to ‘develop controlled skiing’ unlike the yahoos who relied on their youth and sheer nerve to careen wildly down wickedly steep and narrow slopes. The club raised money by showing ski movies that they’d borrowed from the Ontario Ski Zone Committee of the Canadian Amateur Ski Association. Fellow skiers and members of the Sydney Photo Forum were invited to attend. Said former club president, Gordon Naish, “The movies pulled in $9.35 that night.” The club was up and running.
Skiing takes off in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Practicing the art of controlled skiing. The early years.
How’s That for Maritime Pluck?
With no instructors to guide them, club members read how–to–ski books and dutifully honed their on-snow skills as best they could. Occasionally, a skilled skier—such as Dental Corps Lieutenant Maurice Murphy who belonged to the Toronto Ski Club, or Captain R. Mauseth who escaped from Norway after his ship had been blown up—would pass through Sydney and show the locals what ‘controlled skiing’ actually entailed.
The Sydney Ski Club Gets A Much-needed Lift
Finding ski equipment that fit properly and worked without immediately breaking down was just as challenging because local ski shops, knowledgeable vendors and skilled technicians were simply non–existent. Yet despite these setbacks, the Sydney Ski Club grew. In 1946, it invested its entire earnings on a $500 Sweden ‘Freezer’ Ski Tow. That winter, the lift–served slopes of nearby Coxheath rang aloud with the peals and squeals of happy skiers!
“Our mission is to promote a healthy outdoor lifestyle for those in our community.”
— John Ling, Former Ben Eoin Ski Club President
The Search for a Better Hill Begins
Over the next two decades, Sydney Ski Club members scoured Cape Breton for a bigger, better hill that was also more accessible to all Islanders. Noted Gordon, “At one point they tried setting up shop in Barrachois.” Alas, most of the slopes were too advanced for beginners. In 1968, the SSC became the Cape Breton Ski Club, a not-for-profit society managed by an all-volunteer board of directors. The club then invited Hall-of-Fame skier and builder, John Clifford, to assess a site near Bras d’Or Lake. John loved Ben Eoin and not just for its name. (Ben is derived from the Gaelic word Beinn, which means ‘mountain’ and Eoin which is ‘John’. Ben Eoin was actually named after John MacNeil, a farmer who’d settled nearby in the mid 17th Century). John Clifford liked that the slope faced north and had both beginner and advanced ski terrain. The land there was available and quite affordable.
A New Hill. A New Name.
Ski Ben Eoin opened in 1968 with a modest base chalet, a T-bar and two slopes. The Easy Way was quickly renamed ‘Freeway’ because it had an S-turn that opened into a wide and gentle run down to the bottom. The Hard Way was a steep and narrow trail wickedly lined with Eastern hardwoods. It was soon nicknamed, ‘Suicide’. Somehow, the club and its members survived it all. Says former president, John Ling, “It remains, to this day, the only not-for-profit ski club in Maritime Canada. As such, it cannot generate a profit, pay dividends or sell shares. On the plus side, it doesn’t pay taxes on any capital upgrades either.” The Cape Breton Ski Club is still managed by a board of volunteer directors who enjoy no special privileges in return for their tireless service.
In 1993, Vince Cunningham, Normie Gentle, and John R. MacDonald Jr. were honoured with lifetime Ski Ben Eoin memberships.
A New Vision. A New Mission.
The club also embraced a new vision and a new goal. Says John, “Our mission is to promote a healthy outdoor lifestyle for those in our community.” That community includes families and individuals from East Bay, Big Pond, New Waterford, Irish Vale, Portage, North Sydney, Glace Bay and Sydney. Says John, “These communities have always supported the ski hill and I think we’ve been successful in getting things done with the community in mind.” Naturally, this hasn’t always been easy. Fortunately, in 1974, Vince Cunningham and Normie Gentile joined the board. Says John, “The two engineers were highly skilled in mechanical and electrical equipment. They designed and installed much of the snowmaking equipment and electrical systems and greatly improved the lifts. They also inspired a lot of other club members.”
“These communities have always supported the ski hill and I think we’ve been successful in getting things done with the community in mind.”
— John Ling, Former Ben Eoin Ski Club President
From Bust To Boom To…
Despite everyone’s best efforts, the 1970s were hardly an auspicious time for Ski Ben Eoin. Skiing had yet to become popular in Canada. Snowmaking and grooming were rudimentary at best. And Maritime weather was, well, fickle. Ski lifts were often primitive affairs and Ski Ben Eoin’s T-bar, whose springs kept freezing, often sent unsuspecting skiers flying. Undaunted, club staff and volunteers kept everything running thanks, in large part, to the John R. MacDonald family’s generous financial assistance. (Like Vince and Normie, John R. MacDonald Jr. served on the board for 35 years.)
Ben Eoin’s splendid new location was not without its challenges.
Ski instructor volunteer and CSIA Hall of Fame member Ruth Boutillier (centre) is perhaps best known as Cape Breton ultimate fundraiser.
To Liftoff!
The turning point, according to John Ling was that, “Two things happened. Ben Eoin developed a children’s school program. And steak and social nights here became a regular event.” The children’s program, which also got local families skiing, remains popular. While the steak and social nights gave rise to a Winter Carnival, Monday Night Ski Races and countless other social events. Then, in 1980 the provincial government offered all Nova Scotia ski areas generous grants to improve their snowmaking. No one said no.
Glory Days
In 1983, the club hired Kevin MacInnis, a local, ski area management program graduate. As General Manager, Kevin tirelessly branded Ski Ben Eoin long before branding became ‘cool’. He commissioned a catchy jingle and renamed the trails after local birds. (Hard Way, a.k.a. ‘Suicide’, was renamed Eagle and judiciously widened to accommodate safe, yet thrilling, ski racing.) The board then agreed to hire Sno.engineering to develop a Master Plan which saw new trails being cut and the chalet and snowmaking systems expanded and improved. In 1989, the ornery old T-bar was finally replaced by a new, user-friendly, quad chair. A platter lift was also added.
To this day, no one has ever known how to “Get’er done” quite like Kevin MacInnis (right).
A Lasting Legacy
During his remarkable 30 years here, Kevin met every new challenge head on and rallied his troops with a heartfelt, “Get’er done.” When nearby Cape Smokey opened, boasting stunning ocean vistas and a posh new chair, Kevin never even blinked. When the local coal mines and steel mills began shutting down, he supported lowering the cost of a season pass, for a limited time, to $99 per person. Club memberships soared from 950 to 4,200. Consequently, a new beginner trail was cut, and the old platter lift was replaced by a Magic Carpet. Sadly, Kevin passed away in 2016.
Planning For Tomorrow
When locals began talking of opening a golf course here, the Cape Breton Ski Club was onboard. Says John Ling, “We supported them both financially and by sharing our land and facilities.” The Lakes Golf Club opened in 2010 as a world-class, locally-owned resort. Shortly afterwards, the Ben Eoin Yacht Club and Marina was constructed across the highway on Bras d’Or Lake.” Today, Ben Eoin is one of Cape Breton Island’s busiest and most sought-after, year-round destinations. Like ski areas everywhere, Ski Ben Eoin is also facing the challenges of climate change, which are often compounded by its close proximity to the coast. But being a ski area built by the community, for the community, there can be little doubt that the staff, volunteers and skiers here will do whatever it takes… to get ‘er done.
Ski Ben Eoin - A Mountain of Fun for Everyone!
Ski Ben Eoin is Cape Breton's Winter Fun Park. Have heaps of happiness on our hillside!
Ski Ben Eoin 50 Year Retrospective
Early days of the Cape Breton Ski Club
Watch this YouTube Short
Writer: Dave Fonda
Web designer & integrator: Dominique Paquette
Photos and videos: Courtesy of Ben Eoin
Thanks to Katherine MacLeod and John Ling for the Sydney Ski Club (later renamed Cape Breton Ski Club) video
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