At the turn of the Century, when the Celtic Tiger was roaring, well-to-do Brits looking for swish ski properties turned their gaze to the west coast … of Newfoundland. So many bought second homes here that airlines scheduled regular flights from London Gatwick to Deer Lake International Airport. And so began yet another remarkable chapter in the story of Marble Mountain.
Marble Mountain, Newfoundland
How Lumberjacks and Mill Workers Came To Build Atlantic Canada’s Finest Ski Destination
Ski Hill:
Marble Mountain
Map:
Location
Vertical:
529 m (1,703 ft)
Snowfall:
5 m (16 ft)
Community Ski Areas: Stories from The Heartland of Canadian Skiing is an on-going series that looks at the often small and remote ski areas where most Canadians learned to ski and are now sharing their passion for the sport with their children and grandchildren. || Creative Director: Gordie Bowles | Writer: Dave Fonda
Community Ski Areas: Stories from The Heartland of Canadian Skiing is an on-going series that looks at the often small and remote ski areas where most Canadians learned to ski and are now sharing their passion for the sport with their children and grandchildren. || Creative Director: Gordie Bowles | Writer: Dave FondaSkiing Comes to Newfoundland
Skiing started up here in the 1920s when Newfoundland Power & Paper opened a newsprint mill in Corner Brook. Needing skilled woodworkers, the mill recruited expert tradesmen from Scandinavia. The Come-from-Aways also brought their families, their skis and their love of being outdoors in winter. The locals were so impressed that many of them came to embrace skiing and winter as well. In the 1930s, the Corner Brook Ski Club (CBSC) was founded with the help of the mill’s new owner: Bowater Pulp & Paper. In addition to funding the all-volunteer group, Bowater helped cut a new alpine trail and erect a ski jump that drew crowds to nearby Massey Drive. All that ended with World War Two when Newfoundland’s finest lay down their skis and poles and picked up their helmets and arms. Newfies never back down from a good fight.
Construction of The Newfoundland Power and Paper Company Ltd. Mill, circa 1925. Photo courtesy of the Corner Brook Museum & Archives.
A “ski racing” event held in Corner Brook, on Massey Drive, in 1930s. Courtesy of the Sports Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador.
As The War Ends, A New Chapter Begins
Skiing all but disappeared in Newfoundland when most of its young men enlisted for service. After the war, Kevin St. George, a Bowater engineer and CBSC president, recruited two Norwegians, Knut Fosnaes and Haakon Wicks, to come teach the latest European skiing techniques.
By the late 1950s, having outgrown Massey Drive’s gentle slopes, the skiing community demanded a bigger hill, in the snowbelt, near town and with a variety of good terrain. Says local ski historian, Keith Cornier, “They winnowed down their choice to Marble Mountain, Blomidon and Wild Cove. Marble won out because the club president voted for it twice!”
Run By Volunteers, Aided & Abetted By Bowater
Marble Mountain officially opened in 1961 with one trail and a jury-rigged rope tow. Says Keith, “The lift closed after a Bowater foreman came by and reclaimed the rope.” Despite this temporary setback, the makeshift lift was up and running in no time and skiers soon began demanding more runs.
Later, when Bowater acquired some newfangled chainsaws, senior management determined that Marble offered the ideal test site. Armed with the powerful saws, Bowater crews quickly cut several new trails. The mill then donated the wood to the club, which president Kevin St. George thoughtfully sold back to Bowater. He then invested the money in the CBSC. Oh, the things they don’t teach in Finance 101.
Kevin St. George (first row, fourth from the left). Image courtesy of the Corner Brook Museum and Archives.
West Coast skiers of all stripes simply couldn’t get enough of Marble Mountain. Photo courtesy of the Corner Brook Museum & Archives.
Word of The Great Skiing Here Soon Spreads
Skiers from across the province immediately embraced Marble, as did U.S. airmen posted in nearby Stephenville. In the late Sixties, when Nancy Greene visited Marble, she was so impressed, she declared it, “the best skiing east of the Rockies.” (Canada’s consummate skiing ambassador still rues the day she uttered those words.) News quickly spread that Marble was the real deal. It had a great selection of exciting runs. It got walloped with over 16 feet of snow annually. The locals were super friendly. And the Screech flowed freely enough to make anyone want to kiss a cod. Marble began drawing up to 100,000 skiers a year.
“Marble is very welcoming, very energetic, very happy. A lot of people say it’s like going home. It has that home feel, which is what Newfies are like.”
– Katelyn Budgell, Sales & Marketing Manager, Marble Mountain
This Calls For Closer Study
Marble’s success did not go unnoticed. In 1971, independent consultants conducted a feasibility study and determined it should become a four-season resort. In the short-term, this led to the provincial government investing $500,000 in a new chair and more trails. Skiers responded in kind and Marble’s revenues almost tripled in two years. In the long-term, a second feasibility study, commissioned in 1986, also recommended that Marble become a four-season destination. Two years later, the Marble Mountain Development Corporation was established to “develop the ski facility into a four-season anchor attraction to serve as a catalyst for development both locally and in the province as a whole.” Thus began Marble’s transition from community club to a provincially run ski area reporting to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.
Two articles from The Western Star in March 1971. Photo courtesy of the Corner Brook Museum & Archives.
[L to R] Premier Clyde Wells, former Mill Manager John Manuel and Brian Tobin, M.P. standing on the Mill roof at the 10th Anniversary, circa 1995. Photo courtesy of the Corner Brook Museum & Archives.
One Man’s Loss Is Another Man’s Gain
In 1999, Marble hosted the nation’s most promising alpine skiers and snowboarders during the Canada Winter Games. In between races, competitors rested comfortably in Marble’s stunning new base lodge, courtesy of a Corner Brook lawyer turned premier, Clyde Wells. The global economy was booming, especially in Ireland, which was nicknamed the Celtic Tiger. Wealthy Brits began buying and building posh mountain retreats in nearby Steady Brook. But once again Newfoundland’s newfound wealth proved to be as fleeting as it was welcome. When the Tiger tanked, the Brits immediately abandoned their New World manors, which savvy locals snapped up for a song. Some still swear their new garages came fully equipped with SkiDoos still packed in their original shipping crates!
“We serve pretty much the whole western region of Newfoundland and Labrador, but we cater to the whole province. We’re also the biggest ski resort in Atlantic Canada, so we cater to that market as well.”
– Katelyn Budgell
Marble Mountain Today
In winter, Marble employs 150 unionized workers led by a new six-man management team. Guests can stay at Marble Villa, the only ski-in/ski-out lodging in Atlantic Canada. Says Katelyn Budgell, Marble’s Sales and Marketing Manager, “This was our first summer as a full, four-season, recreation destination. We opened our chairlift for scenic rides. We also have the only in-house smoke-house in the region which brought in Bishop’s Beer Garden. We hosted some Night Markets and live shows, and weddings are a huge part of our year-round business.” Recently, cruise ships began visiting Corner Brook and Western Newfoundland. Says Katelyn, “We recently brought in just over a thousand guests for the scenic tour and traditional Newfoundland Screech-In ceremony.”
Photo courtesy Marble Mountain Resort.
Photo courtesy Marble Mountain Resort.
Marble Mountain Tomorrow
Running a ski area this close to the sea and to sea level today can be challenging. Winters are starting later and ending sooner. Weather events are becoming more extreme and more frequent. Following two 100+ mm rain storms in four years, Marble began working with local survey groups and the Hydrology Department at Grenfell University to identify where issues might occur and take the necessary steps to help mitigate them. As importantly, Marble is exploring other ways of drawing guests to this sparsely populated region. Says Katelyn, ‘We’re working with the West Coast Cycling Association to build biking trails on the mountain. We’re also looking into ways to offer culinary, fishing and package tours with other local operators. We want to grow our product but we also want to help grow tourism for the whole region.” In Newfoundland, folks simply wouldn’t have it any other way.
“A majority of our workers, about 85% to 90% are Newfoundlanders, so they bring that Newfoundland culture, history and feel to your whole experience on the mountain.”
– Katelyn Budgell
Marble Mountain
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