Mission Ridge Winter Park, Saskatchewan

If they ever hand out an award to ski areas that punch way above their weight, you’d be hard-pressed to top the hill that’s given us Murray Bedel, Kurt Oatway and Craig and Mark McMorris. Ladies and gentlemen, weighing in with 15 marked runs and 292 vertical feet: Mission Ridge Winter Park!

Dreamers: 11 Skiers: 0

In the 1970s, a hotel man named John Smith got together with ten local businessmen to discuss how they could help boost tourism in and around Fort Qu’Appelle. Even though none of them were skiers, John suggested that skiing might be just the ticket. The sport was growing in popularity. Most skiers had disposable income. And the Qu’Appelle Valley had slopes to spare. According to Mike Smith, John’s son and the current owner of Mission Ridge, “They put some coins together and got things going.”

Wanted: A Suitable Hill

The group then scoured the valley for a suitable slope that faced North and thus hold the snow into spring. They then bought the steepest one they could find. Because their slope overlooked nearby Mission Lake, they named their venture Mission Ridge. After securing some federal government loans the group brought in workers to clear trails, erect lifts and get their new ski hill up and running. Skiing in Saskatchewan was about to begin an exciting, new chapter.

Growing Pains

Mission Ridge Ski Hill opened in 1972 with twelve runs, two T‑bars, a rope tow and a 3,000-square-foot day lodge. The entire community was excited, impressed and… more than a little scared. All the trails were just wide enough to accommodate a Snowcat, to further ensure that the snow would stay and last. To the untrained eye, those runs were also frightfully steep. Says Mike, “Everyone was a beginner back then, but there weren’t any beginner slopes for them. It was kind of dangerous.”

And Then There Was One

The following year, most of the businessmen failed to repay their loans and the bank seized Mission Ridge. Undeterred, John Smith bought the entire operation. Over the next 28 years, John pioneered snowmaking out West. He introduced Western ski areas to SnowMax. And he turned rudimentary snow-farming into a fine art. Although winters in the valley are long and cold, snowfalls can be scant and sparse. Says Mike, “They would ridge the snow up on the lake and then, when the weather was good, they would blow it into the back of tandem trucks. They’d then drive through Fort Qu’Appelle and up to the top of the valley. They would come down our half-mile beginner run and dump the snow. They were doing that until ‘01.”

“It’s one of the jewels we have in the valley. It attracts a lot of people, so it’s good for the business community, especially for the young people. For a lot of them, that (working at Mission Ridge— sic) is their first job.”

— Gus Lagacy, former Mayor of Fort Qu’Appelle

One Man’s Fright Is Another Man’s Delight

Although John added a small shop and night skiing, and replaced the rope tow with a more manageable handle tow, he effectively left the ski trails untouched. While novices and beginners were not amused, a new breed of skiers and snowboarders most definitely was. As it turned out, Mission Ridge’s steep and narrow trails would become a prime breeding ground and early training centre for aspiring Olympic, Paralympic, World Cup and X-Games champions. But more on that later.

A Change of Hands

In 2001, John’s son, Mike, bought Mission Ridge and proceeded to upgrade and improve it. Considerably. He expanded and enlarged the day lodge. Twice. He tore down Calgary Olympic Park’s ‘Paskapoo’ triple chair, hauled it to Mission Ridge, reassembled it and renamed it ‘Big John’s Chair’. Singlehandedly. To make his hill more user-friendly, he widened some trails, added two snow parks and introduced tubing lanes. When asked what role volunteers have played at Mission Ridge, Mike is unequivocal: “There are no volunteers at this place, other than the Canadian Ski Patrol.

A Builder of Champions

In 1975, a local farmer named Murray Bedel lost both his arms to his new hay bailing machine. Never one to sit around and mope, Murray vowed to continue farming so he could support his wife, Janet, and their children. One day, John Smith encouraged Murray to take up skiing. Nine years after his farming accident, Murray took home the bronze medal in slalom at the 1984 Paralympic Games. Since becoming a certified ski instructor, Murray has taught skiing at Mission Ridge for 42 years. And counting. Inspired, perhaps, by Murray’s infectious and indefatigable spirit, the Regina Ski Club established their Adaptive Ski Program at Mission Ridge in 2004. With equally astonishing results.

“Even though I didn’t have arms, it made me feel like a normal human being, and it kept me going in those many difficult years.”

— Murray Bedel, Bronze Medallist, 1984 Paralympic Games, Innsbrück, Austria

Don’t Just Sit There. Sit-ski!

Murray Bedel isn’t the only Paralympic champion to hail from Mission Ridge. Kurt Oatway was a lifelong skier and geology student who badly injured his spinal column in a fall in Utah, in 2007. One day, while watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games on television, Kurt felt the urge to ski again. But instead of just sitting there, wishing and hoping, he learned how to sit-ski at Mission Ridge. Utterly fearless when racing on ice and snow, Kurt is a multi-World Cup medallist. He also won gold in the sitting Super G at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Looking back on his incredible racing career, in a 2022 CTV News interview, Kurt Oatway had nothing but praise for his not-so-old alma mater.

“I just want to thank Mission Ridge, Regina Alpine Race Team and my old coach Gord. They all played roles in getting me going again.”

— Kurt Oatway, Paralympic and World Cup Gold Medallist

Canada’s Most Decorated Snowboarder

Among Mission Ridge alumni, none have made the news more than Craig and Mark McMorris. CBC television viewers know Craig from his colourful and insightful sports commentary. While the whole the world knows Mark as one of the most decorated competitive snowboarders of all time. Both brothers learned to ski and then ride at Mission Ridge. Although they moved on to bigger mountains to train and compete, they’ve always remained true to their roots by helping young athletes and boosting small, local, community ski areas. Established in 2012, their McMorris Foundation is devoted to inspiring kids and helping them follow their hearts through sport. Thus far, they’ve raised over $410,000 and assisted more than 4,100 aspiring young champions.

“The cool thing about skiing and snowboarding is that they truly are family sports. You can come out here and spend actual quality time together.”

— Anders Svenson, Business Manager, Mission Ridge Winter Park

As For Us Mere Mortals…

While not everyone can grow up to be the next Mark McMorris or Kurt Oatway, almost anyone can learn to ski or snowboard. On average, Mission Ridge hosts over seven thousand young students and between forty and fifty-thousand skiers and snowboarders per winter. Most come from Fort Qu’Appelle and Regina, but a growing number are also new arrivals. Says Regina Open Door Society spokesperson Victoria Flores, “When it comes to winter sports and winter activities, it’s a really great way for them to feel part of the community and maybe find a new hobby or a new sport.” That welcoming and inclusive spirit has always defined Mission Ridge. Today, Mike Smith is mining an even stronger bond. Family. He’s now readying his sons, Owen and Lyndon, to become the third generation of Smiths to oversee this small yet storied hill. Top that!

  Writer: Dave Fonda
Web designer & integrator: Dominique Paquette
  Photographs courtesy of Mission Ridge Winter Park and used with their permission.

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