Hey MMC! Here are some updates from our January board meeting:
Operations
- December skier visits were up a whopping 60% to 7200 and likely would have been much higher if we didn’t have to cap attendance. What an awesome, albeit sometimes overwhelming, early season!
- You probably didn’t even notice thanks to Christian’s quick problem solving, but one of our snow cats broke down last month and had to be sent away (a few months ahead of schedule) for some major repairs. We were able to get a rental machine to the hill and not a day went by ungroomed. Fewf! This will cost us a little bit, but the machine was scheduled to receive these repairs later this year- so at least some of it was already budgeted for.
- Our Indigenous Adventure Pass has been a success so far! We are excited that more folks have taken advantage of the 50% off rentals and lessons than we thought would (well above our initial goal!). But we recognize some guests were affected by the new cap system. We would like to apologize for any frustrations in this regard and we are working hard to come up with solutions for the future.
- We have submitted a grant to make our new outdoor bathrooms a permanent installation. Who doesn’t love those things?!
- In spite of the new operating procedures, the restaurant and bar have been seeing lots of activity. You may see a small increase in the cost of food and beverages to help us recoup the additional costs of operating to pandemic standards. No promises!
- Dexter Hobson helped us to obtain a quote for the cost of bringing hydro power up the mountain. Any guesses?!……………………………How’s a cool $21.5 million? Needless to say, we love our generators. Thank you Dexter, for helping us to obtain this information!
Parking
- The cap system has significantly helped to manage the parking panic – but wouldn’t more space be great!?
- A grant application has been submitted for the proposed upper lot expansion and we are waiting to hear back. We are looking for other opportunities to fundraise for this important project. Anyone interested in fundraising for parking, please contact Steve @ [email protected]
- In order to afford the associated operating costs of this new parking lot (sand truck, loader, additional man hours etc) we are discussing a few different options that include a small fee that may be rolled into next year’s pass sales. We do not seek to profit from these fees, simply to cover the additional costs. No decisions have been made and we are open to your feedback. Any creative solutions out there!?
- Based on feedback from staff and members, we will not be moving ahead with a parking spot auction this year.
Finances
- MMC was selected to receive an additional $10 000 from the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s Community Investment Fund! Yahoo! Thank you PRPA for your ongoing support!!
- The first ⅔’s of the season look great on the books in spite of additional costs, our final 3rd will dictate how we end up! Think snowy, hot chocolatey, sneaky Petey thoughts!! Let’s keep this season pumping!
Events
- We are sad to announce that due to the complexities of operating during a global pandemic, we will not be able to host many of our usual promotional events this year. Thrilling Thursdays and The Family Day 50% off promotion will not be in effect. The hill will be open on Family Day for seasons pass holders and regular pass purchase.
Projects
- We have raised close to $400,000 for our Shred Carpet Project and applied to NDIT for the remaining $300,000. We hope to make a decision to build this new lift in 2021 once we hear back from NDIT this February. Everyone cross your toes!
- Here’s something cool: Brad Zeerip, Rob Geier and Nicki Veikle presented the Enhanced Slackcountry Initiative to us this month and we have approved a motion for them to move ahead with formal project proposal and cost estimate. This project would see some glading faaaar to the looker’s right of the diamonds in order to make it more safe and accessible for back country enthusiasts. It will be member driven and will be exclusively grant funded. We are so thrilled to see these enthusiastic members taking this initiative and……. Gladed runs make a future chairlift project a heck of a lot less daunting! Thanks for your informative presentation guys! We look forward to hearing more.
Thanks once again for reading! Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns or fresh new ideas. Contact information for all directors can be found here. Stay shreddy MMC!