With the soaring American dollar putting the kibosh on many a voyage south of the border, Torontonians are rediscovering the joy of the family ski trip.
Skiing has long been a part of March break festivities in the Toronto area. The only thing that has changed is that the more the city grows the further afield we are willing and able to travel to satisfy our desire to commune with the fluffy white stuff while riding atop a pair of wooden sticks.
Back in the good old days, the Don Valley was ski central, with an array of Nordic trails. In addition, at one point there was a 30-metre ski jump erected, and there was also a modest, three-lift ski resort, dubbed the Don Valley Ski Centre, near Lawrence and the Don Valley. One could still spot a rusty pole or two on the former site, which closed down in the ’70s.
There were plenty of other small pockets of white on golf courses and parks that would fill with recreational skiers come winter. Much activity was centred around the Rosedale Golf Club as well as High Park. There was also a popular ski hill located in Rouge Park, to the east in Scarborough.
One can still find quite modest downhill skiing within the borders of the big city at Centennial Park and Earl Bales Park, but true Torontonians know that the only skiing that matters is the skiing that takes place two hours north of the city. Serious Toronto skiers turned their gaze northward when a plucky Austrian entrepreneur by the name of Jozo Weider decided to take a chance and open a ski hill in Collingwood, Ont., near the shores of Georgian Bay.
It kinda stuck, and every March break and throughout the year, Torontonians do the Highway 400 hustle northward in any manner of conveyance, from buses to cars, to try their chances on the province’s largest “mountain.”
Those inclined to pursue cross-country skiing can still be found weaving amongst the trees in the Don Valley, shushing the modest slopes of High Park or even creeping along Toronto’s beaches, being pursued by the occasional dog. Such is life in the big city.