Press Releases

WHAT’S GOING ON AT BATAWA SKI HILL?

Batawa skiers welcome news of new chair lift BATAWA/ Fifty years of hard work and tremendous volunteer effort have paid off for the Batawa Ski Hill who announced June 15th that a new Leitner/Poma Quad Chairlift will be installed for the upcoming 2008/2009 ski season. Leitner/Poma is one of the most prominent ski lift manufacturers in the world and the chairlift at Batawa Ski Hill will be the newest lift in

Ontario this coming year. With the addition of a state-of-the-art snowmaking system in 2007, and the ability to make more snow per acre than most other Ontario ski areas, Batawa Ski Hill is quickly moving from a small unknown Ontario ski hill whose racers tear up the slopes in competition across Ontario, to a ski area that can now rival most in Ontario for quality ski terrain and skier satisfaction. Over the past two seasons Batawa Ski Hill has invested heavily in the facility’s aging infrastructure and it’s been paying off. “We’ve doubled previous average skier visits, “days open” and seen great increases in ski and snowboard lessons in the past two seasons,” said Steve Spiessman, ski area general manager. “We anticipate an even larger increase in volume this year as a result of the chairlift installation.” The new quad Chairlift, with padded seating for 4, will take guests up the hill with ease and comfort. “Two luxuries we never had before,” Spiessman explains. “The new chairlift will make skiing and snowboarding easier for people of all ability levels. It will make us much more inviting to schools and give people in the Quinte region one less reason to drive an hour or more to take their family skiing. Everything they need is right here in their own back yard.” The Chairlift will initially transport 1800 people per hour up hill, and can easily be upgraded to 2400 people per hour with the addition of 6 more chairs. With an uphill travel time of 1.5 minutes, skiers and snowboarders will get more runs in less time than ever before. The T-Bars will remain in place for special events or high volume holidays and weekends, giving Batawa Ski Hill a total uphill capacity of over 3800 people per hour. Batawa Ski Hill has celebrated other announcements recently, including funding support of over $18,000 from Trenval Business Development Corporation for internship and training and a $22,000 grant from the

Trenton

Memorial

Hospital’s Kay Stafford Memorial Fund to purchase Ski Patrol emergency equipment, training equipment and supplies. A recent announcement was made in partnership with Research Castings Inc that a new dinosaur play structure will be constructed on site at the ski hill that will offer children an opportunity to excavate a life size tyrannosaurus rex. Plans were unveiled at a Homecoming Celebration this past weekend. The ski hill won’t sit idle this summer, with plans for summer Eco Adventure Day camps for local children as well as teen and adult dances and family events, the hill will be a lively spot. Watch the ski hill’s website for information on events and project progress at www.batawaskihill.com. Watch for early bird seasons pass sales starting soon.

Snowboarding the most fun you can have on snow

By Kate Everson
Quinte West – Snowboarding is the new cool on the slopes.
“It’s a lot of fun once you get the hang of it,” says Batawa Ski Patroller Danielle Martin. “It’s very cool.”
More young people are taking up snowboarding now, starting as young as three years old. The muscles used are different than in skiing, working the calves and quads. “It’s a challenge to snowboard,” Danielle says. “When I started, my legs really ached.”
She wears wristguards and a helmet to protect her from injury. “I also wear a pillow on my butt,” she laughs.
The first time she tried snowboarding, she put out her hand to stop a fall and sprained her wrist. “I would recommend taking lessons,” she adds. “It’s a lot faster.”
Kyle O’Brien and Justin Steinburg are two Queen’s University students giving snowboard lessons at Batawa on weekends. The next five-week course starts on Feb. 16 for two hours a week.
“It’s been a good year,” Kyle says. “Everybody wants to snowboard now. It’s cool.”
Roisin Larcombe, 11, has been snowboarding for three years and loves it. “It’s more fun than skiing,” she smiles.
Batawa Ski Hill rents out snowboarding packages which include boots, bindings, snowboards. Helmets and wristguards are recommended. Bring your own butt pillow. Call 613-398-6568.

No shortage of Snow at Batawa Ski Hill

By Cameron GinnJanuary 25, 2008 –A new fleet of snow guns is just a portion of the ongoing changes that are spearheading the 2008 winter season at Batawa Ski Hill. Ever since the loonie set skyward, Batawa has been saving money on cross border purchases, on things like parts, equipment, and, more importantly, snow guns.In designated temperatures, these snow guns produce artificial snow by discharging atomized water in a set direction, sometimes with a giant axial fan, where then it forms a mound of densely packed snow over time. A man-operated grooming machine later breaks it down, wedge by block, laying it out over the undesirables like chunky peanut butter spread. Afterwards, a kind of caramelizing takes places when it’s groomed into a pristine corduroy texture. But down in the airy base lodge, that’s warm with sunshine and salvaged energy, Batawa’s general manager Steve Speismann is grinning contently in his worn and abraded duck-cotton work wear, making casual talk of snow sciences—and why not? He’s been teaching it at Georgian College in Barrie, Ont. since 2001.

The audible drag in his steel-toed approach implies great authority, and collective whisker grit, as well as the size of the man’s hands, which belong to persona of some virile biker gripping a gas throttle, but his speech wavers jollily in a low bass pitch that everyone listens to, and a relaxed handshake comes short in delivering those stereotypical misinterpretations.

You see, Speismann’s office is the entire ski hill, and he believes that a cork-countered waxing bench, slathered in hardened epoxy, is an appropriate place as any to conduct an interview. Immixed in his two professions is 20 years experience within Ontario’s skiing industry, and at the topic of climate, his lax posture inflates into a broad breasted leering—the kind often coveted by crusty generals mapping out battle strategies, and quite unintentionally, his dialed knowledge of resort operations determines topical obsolescence in others.

Annually increasing snowmaking capacity is Batawa’s primary tactic in countering the effects of global warming.

“What’s happening is we’re getting less great winters and more mediocre winters right now, so global warming is a significant item we’re concerned with—it’s all Ontario ski areas,” says Speismann.

But for smaller, non-destination ski resorts like Batawa, which heavily relies on snow makers, natural snowfall is not a big deal anymore.

“We’re happy with 3 centimetres, 20 centimetres. We’re happy with 40 centimetres… we will always be making additions to our capacity to make snow.”

Recalling an age when climate wasn’t on the fritz, and adequate temperatures allowed guns to spew snow for weeks on end, Speismann stresses the urgency of today’s ailing climate and reveals Batawa’s immediate response through adopting Sustainable Slopes Policy—voluntary resort regulation, first initiated in the United States, that lessens the impact of ski tourism on mountain ecosystems through sustaining environmentally sound practices, such as salvaging lost energy, reusing water and mountain run-off, replenishing vegetation seasonally and diminishing equipment and building emissions.

“That policy is about operating with green philosophies—little things to larger items. That’s part of our long-term plan,” he says reassuringly, continuing to describe how excess heat created in compressing air and powering snowmakers is being harnessed to heat other buildings throughout the property.

“Everybody needs to get on board with green philosophies. We certainly can’t do it on our own in the ski business.”

But not everything in the industry adheres to strict ordinance and newly drafted environmental policy. Speissman admits that organic forecasting—gut feeling and recognizing the cyclical behavior of winter—is a more reliable almanac than historical data or weather sciences could ever be.

“The little boys that lie grow up to be weathermen, so you’ve got to take all the information, put it together and come up with your own local forecast… It’s that magical feeling!” he says, then erupting into divine laughter.

Hailing from Trenton, Sam McColl, 16, and many of his repertoires have been coming to Batawa for years.

“The last thing we want is Batawa to close down because of the environment,” he said with a passionate shrug. “That wouldn’t be good for anybody.”

He rampantly began scoffing about and denouncing the federal government’s going stale on the issue of the environment.

McColl concludes, in youthful and explicit realism, “Global warming for sure is here, and I like knowing that Batawa is taking action… the prime minister isn’t—he’s messing up the country by not making the right decisions.”

Batawa, Dec 18, 2007— The Batawa Ski Hill, for the first time in recent memory, is ready to hold its official Grand Opening – this Friday, December 21st – blanketed in deep natural snow! With our recent fresh fall of snow and our improved snowmaking, we’ve got the ideal conditions to kick-off the best winter recreation season ever!

Earlier last week Quinte West Mayor, John William, dropped out to the ski hill to inspect the start up of the snowmaking operations, recognizing what a good Christmas ski season would mean to families in the Quinte area.

The Batawa Ski Hill has underwent significant improvements over the past year. Snowmaking has been expanded. Night lighting is improved for skiing after school and into the evenings all winter. The terrain park will feature new jibs, expanded terrain and a dedicated park staff. With even more upgrades to the lifts now underway, skiers and boarders will find their way to the top of the hill with ease. There’s also a new canteen to enjoy after a long day on the hill where guests can sit in front of the fire and enjoy their meal or snack.

“Improvements to the runs and terrain park mean we now offer terrain that will suit the most advance skier in the family, and those kids who are just starting out,” explained Ski Hill General Manager Steve Spiessman.

Improved snow school programs are now offered as well as a calendar full of special events, including a 6 week Freestyle Series in the Terrain Park, Christmas Holiday Programming, a New Years Eve Torch Light Parade and March Break Program, just to name a few. For event schedules and information or ski hill hours, visit their website at www.batawaskihill.com .

“We are really excited about kicking off the holiday season with our extended hours. We are only closed for one day, and that’s Christmas Day itself” says Spiessman, “The Torchlight Parade will be the highlight of New Year’s Eve. It will be something to see and we invite even non-skiers out for the party in the chalet and to see the lights.”

“And I really want to acknowledge that we could not have achieved such a dramatic transformation in such a short time without the great support of our volunteers, and contributions from Trenval Business Development Corporation and the Batawa Development Corporation,” said Spiessman.

Batawa Ski Hill prides itself on being a family-focused, community-oriented, year-round facility, bringing everyone together with a focus on healthy living and fun recreation. For more information about Batawa Ski Hill, call 613-398-6568