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Mother Nature has been temperamental this season but we'll take what we can get and in the case of the last 24 hours, it has resulted in 20+cm of fresh snow! Thank you, MN!

Winter may be fickle but more importantly Winter is also Freedom, Family and Social. See which profile suits you best over on our YouTube channel.

March Break is around the corner and we've partnered with Family Channel to make your getaway a memorable one. Details for this exciting week are further down in the newsletter.

Enjoy a sample of #winterwarrior shots below and keep tagging us on social media! 

Winter is Here and Blue Mountain is Celebrating

Blue Mountain is known for hosting festivals and events during the summer months but on Saturday, January 23^rd, the Resort will host its first winter festival: Celebrate Winter. This new festival is designed to celebrate all things snow including the fun of the Village with the sport of the Mountain.

“Winter is here!” says Tara Lovell, PR Manager at Blue Mountain Resort. “We were all anxiously awaiting the season and Blue Mountain is ready to celebrate everything that winter has to offer.”

Blue had its latest opening day on record on December 30^th but thanks to proactive on-hill preparations and the Resort’s advanced snowmaking technology, the hill is now open end-to-end with nearly all of Blue Mountain’s 42 ski runs open for skiing and riding.

“The Village is looking its best with a fresh blanket of snow, especially at night with the lights on the slopes and on the trees,” notes Patti Kendall, Director of Marketing & Events for the Blue Mountain Village Association. “While we normally run events in the warmer months the pedestrian design of our Village, fire pits and outdoor stage are fun and safe for families.”

Celebrate Winter will kick off at 9:00 a.m. where locals and guests alike can spend a full 12 hours outside enjoying all that the season has to offer including skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing and even a winter scavenger hunt through the Village. Afternoon fun includes a tour through the Village on the MJ Byrne’s Horse & Wagon rides, maple taffy on snow, ice wine, local apple and cider sampling, interactive groove dancing and ice and wood carving. Once the sun sets, look forward to a Fire & Snow party featuring Glow Groove Dancing, a torch light parade down a ski run, fire dancing and fireworks.

“The wait is over and we are inviting everyone to join us in celebrating the snow,” says Lovell. “Bundle up, embrace the season, and get outside with us at Blue.”

The complete list of winter activities taking place during Celebrate Winter can be found online at www.bluemountain.ca or www.bluemountainvillage.ca. Guests should also be reminded to call 1-877-445-0231 for snow and attraction updates.

Schedule of Events: 

10am & 2pm	Columbia Guided Snowshoe	Columbia
10am - 12pm	Snow scuplture carving	Mill Pond
10am -4pm	Winter Scavenger Hunt	Village
10am - 10pm	Mountain Scavenger Hunt	Blue Mountain
10am - 4pm	Red Prince Apple Cider Tasting	Village
10am - 4pm	Horse and Wagon Rides	Village
2pm - 4pm	Wood Sculpture Carving	Village
10am - 4pm	Ice Sculpture Carving	Village
3pm	Groove Dancing	Village
6pm-8pm	The North Face DJ Skating Party	Mill Pond
Evening FIRE AND ICE SHOW
8:30pm	Glow in the Dark Groove Dancing	Silver Bullet Plaza
9:30pm	Fire Dancing	Silver Bullet Plaza
10:15pm	Torch Light Parade	Smart Alec
10:30pm	Fireworks	Smart Alec

Ring in the Season with Jingles & Joy at Blue Mountain Village

The holiday spirit has begun at Ontario’s largest shopping and dining pedestrian Village and four-season ski resort. Just two hours north of Toronto.

Come and enjoy turn-of-the-century architecture dressed up for the season. Sleigh bells can be heard in the background as carolers stroll the cobblestone pathways and children visit Santa. Nothing welcomes the holiday season like December at Blue Mountain Village with spectacular fireworks each Saturday night at 8pm, again on Christmas Eve, and twice on New Year’s Eve.

Forget fighting for a parking space and shopping inside at the mall. Instead, enjoy the weather strolling outside through the Village, exploring the 50 unique shops and eateries. From locally-owned stores featuring original gift ideas, art, women’s fashions and home décor to Christmas décor, toys, ski wear and so much more! You’ll be sure to find something for even the most discerning folks on your list. And when it’s time to drop the bags and have a bite, there are 25 restaurants and eateries to choose from. Busy kids will love the indoor/outdoor Plunge! Aquatic Centre complete with a water slide and rope swing and just steps away is Ontario’s only exhilarating Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster - open daily this school break. If you’re in need of a little break from the hustle and bustle visit one of the two Village spas - one is just for kids!   

The Village makes a great day trip but staying the night gives you time to really take it all in. There is a complete range of excellent and affordable accommodations as well as fabulous amenities like year-round outdoor pools.

Winter’s on the way. Welcome it with Jingles & Joy at Blue Mountain Village. 

Find the complete list of shops, restaurants, spas and programs here www.bluemountainvillage.ca/jingles

Ski Resort Gets Ready for the Season While Waiting on the Weather

Even if Mother Nature isn’t quite ready for winter, Blue Mountain Resort certainly is. The Resort had initially been targeting November 27 as the start to their ski season but recently announced a delay to their opening date due to the warmer temperatures forecasted this week. “Our systems are ready to get running as soon as the weather and conditions are favourable,” says Steve Spiessman, Director of Slope and Grounds Operations. “We are taking advantage of temperatures as warm as -2.2 Celsius and snowmaking windows as short as 4 hours to get the hills open as soon as possible.”

As the official opening day gets closer, the Resort is still preparing for the busy season and looking for seasonal staff to help serve the thousands of guests Blue Mountain draws each season. To attract student talent, Blue has launched a new Tuition Assistance Program which provides eligible employees with an opportunity to receive $500 toward their post-secondary education for each consecutive season of employment. “This is a brand new program that is pretty unique to this area,” says Janet Hammond, Manager, Human Resources. “We know we will need more team members once the season kicks off and we want to do what we can to make working at Blue as great an opportunity as possible.”

Off-hill, the events in the Blue Mountain Village are also lined up and ready including Jingles and Joy, a festive welcome to winter that includes free activities for families from horse-drawn wagon rides and carolers, to fireworks and visits with Santa Claus. “The Blue Mountain Village has become a hub of activity every weekend of the season,” notes Claire Woodhouse, Events Coordinator for the Blue Mountain Village Association. “People know that if they are looking for something to do on- or off-hill in the winter, they can always find something fun to do at Blue.”
 

Blue Mountain Resort's earliest opening day was on November 25 in 1989 and a typical season starts around mid-December. The updated opening day for the season is yet to be confirmed but Blue Mountain will be providing updates on their social media accounts and on their website. Those anxiously waiting to find out when the lifts will be running can check www.bluemountain.ca or phone 1-877-445-0231 for updates.

Operators are Getting Ready to Make Snow at Blue Mountain

It will look like the ski season has started early at Blue Mountain Resort this Tuesday as the Snow Making team gets ready for the season. “We will be running our snowmaking system close to capacity this week to get ready for the upcoming season,” says Steve Spiessman, Director of Slope and Grounds Operations and resident snow whisperer at Blue. “It is still a little early to actually be making snow on the hill but testing all the snow guns will make it look very wintery on the mountain.”

According to Spiessman, this run-through is an important step in starting the season as early as possible. “We always test the system in advance so that we can make any repairs or adjustments,” notes Spiessman. A lot of snowmaking is at the mercy of the elements and ideal snowmaking conditions are a bit more complicated than a thermometer reading of zero degrees or colder.
“This year, we are running the system at near capacity and will be testing snow guns, piping systems, air compressors, water pumps, and automation software. By running this equipment now we will be able to improve our pre-season efficiency and take advantage of even the shortest snowmaking windows leading up to opening day,” Spiessman says.

Blue Mountain has Canada’s largest snowmaking system and ranks among the most powerful in North America. Over the past several years, Blue has made significant investments in its capabilities including energy efficient tower guns that operate at higher temperatures. “Of particular note is how much more efficient we are with our automation system,” says Spiessman. “We used to have to wait for 1-3 days of cold weather to make snow. Now we can take advantage of ideal snow making conditions in windows as short as 4 hours.”


The snowmaking system will be running as early as 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon but as always, Mother Nature gets the last say as to when the hills open for the season. Guests who want to be ready for ski season as soon as possible, can take advantage of the early bird rates on season passes by visiting www.bluemountain.ca or calling 1-800-445-0231 by November 1.

Halloween Comes Early with The Haunted Hill at Blue Mountain, October 23 - 25

A weekend of Halloween-themed family fun awaits as Blue Mountain Resort transforms into The Haunted Hill from Friday, October 23^th to Sunday, October 25^th, 2015.  Come enjoy the eerie atmosphere in Blue’s Enchanted Forest, the Creepy Carnival and the Haunted Graveyard putting course.

All attraction tickets will be half price so guests can take their little goblins and ghouls to activities like the Wind Rider Triple Zips, Timber Challenge High Ropes, Climbing Wall, Plunge! Aquatic Centre, Woodlot Low Ropes, Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster and the Apex Bag jump at 50% off. Not only are the rides dressed up but Blue Mountain team members will be dressed for the occasion with fun Halloween costumes and activations.

Last year’s sold-out, signature attraction, a “Hike on Haunted Hill” will be returning once again. Presented by Theatre Collingwood in partnership with Collingwood Collegiate Institute’s and Meaford Highschool’s Drama Club, this spooky, one hour theatrical performance will take guests on a guided hike through the haunted forest of Blue Mountain Resort. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for youth, and free for children under 5 years of age when accompanied by an adult. Performances run Friday and Saturday evening at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the not-so-spooky family-friendly matinee performances on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday Afternoon at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.  Self-guided tours of the Haunted Forest will also be available leading up to each performance on Friday October 23^rd from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday October 24^th from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Other Halloween activities will be taking place in the Blue Mountain Village throughout the weekend including pumpkin carving in the centre of the Village, Halloween button taking, a Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt and more.


For more information aboutThe Haunted Hill at Blue Mountain, visit www.bluemountain.ca/halloween

There’s still time to get your kids into camp this summer!

Come (or come back!) to experience Beachside with activities on the water at Blue’s private beach and on some of the fun attractions at Blue! The best part? From August 24 to September 4 campers can bring a friend for FREE!

Beachside gives kids ages 11-13 a chance to get outside and pack some end-of-summer fun into the weeks before school starts again. Campers enjoy making new friends and have fun doing activities such as kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Plus they also get to try Blue Mountain’s most sought after attractions including zip lining and high ropes course.

BEACHSIDE CAMP SAMPLE ITINERARY
MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
AM: Beach Games PM: Ziplining	AM: Timber Challenge High Ropes PM: Beach Games	AM: Biking to Thornbury PM: Kayak from Thornbury	AM: Golf PM: Beach Games	AM: Beach Games BBQ Lunch PM: Amazing Race

To register or to get more information please call 705-445-0231
Offer applies to daily or weekly bookings at Beachside Summer Camps only.

http://www.bluemountain.ca/plunge_super_camp.htm