By Ed Stozek
For the Herald
For close to 40 years downhill ski enthusiasts enjoyed their favourite winter pastime at the Mount Agassiz Ski Resort.
Located eight miles west of McCreary, the National Parks Branch began developing the site in 1958-59. The site’s name was appropriate as the hill was at one time part of the shoreline of Lake Agassiz, which was formed when the glaciers retreated approximately 12,000 years ago.
An article in the January 15, 1959 edition of the Dauphin Herald showed that funds were proposed for preliminary work on the development of a ski resort within Riding Mountain National Park from the $387,000 winter work program approved by the federal government.
Crews were expected to open a road into the resort area and clear brush from the slopes.
The site, the only mountain ski hill between Thunder Bay and the Rockies, called for a downhill run, a slalom run and a practice run for beginners. The rest of the development would be up to private investors.
Newspaper reports from Winnipeg indicated that a group of city businessmen were contemplating putting up the $200,000 needed to finance and operate the resort.
In December 1961 a special showing of ski related movies at the McCreary School auditorium accompanied three days of free instruction at the cleared ski area. The program was sponsored by Manitoba Ski Zone and the newly-created McCreary Ski Club. Following each day of lessons Bob Pierce, one of Manitoba's top alpine competitors, demonstrated slalom racing.
“A group of Manitoba men were awarded the concession to operate a double chair lift, a tow rope and a chalet at the ski hill. These are expected to be installed and operating by December. This summer the national parks branch will be completing construction of a five-mile access from the park boundary, a parking lot, ski patrol hut and other facilities.” (May 30, 1962, Dauphin Herald)
On Feb. 16 and 17, 1963, the Central Canadian Alpine competitions with entries from Fort William, Port Arthur, Winnipeg, Loch Lammond and Flin Flon were hosted at Agassiz.
By Sunday afternoon more than 300 cars had ferried spectators to watch the finals of the downhill and slalom competitions. Later that week a meeting was organized at Black’s Sports Shop calling all interested local skiers to come out to see special films, as well as take part in organizing a Dauphin ski club.
Provincewide interest was evident by the hundreds of skiers and sightseers travelling to the area to see the progress being made.
“The slopes were in first class condition and would be ready for skiers as soon as there was sufficient snowfall. The new chalet which will replace temporary accommodation at the slope last winter is hexagonal in shape, consisting of a large lounge with two completely glassed in walls looking out onto the slope offering skiers and spectators a panoramic view of the entire lower area of the slope. There will be a canteen and a pro shop for ski rentals. The lift will have a capacity of 960 skiers per hour and will convey them to the top in about eight minutes. It may well be that before long Agassiz will be regarded as the Banff of the Prairies.” (November 6, 1963, Dauphin Herald)
In anticipation for the 1979 Canada Winter Games hosted by Brandon, the Agassiz site had a major overhaul at a cost of half a million dollars as the alpine skiing events were to be held there. A month prior to the games more than 1,000 skiers got to test the new ski runs and their first chance to ride a chairlift in Manitoba. Some mechanical difficulties were also ironed out.
Unseasonably warm winters during the 1990s and the opening of the Asessippi Ski Resort near Russell were cited as two of the main factors that caused the owners to file for bankruptcy in 2000.
In the ensuing years several unsuccessful attempts were made to re-open the “Banff of the Prairies.”
In 2014 a contract was awarded to remove the main lodge building, excavate contaminated soil and landscape the area as Parks Canada made the decision to revert the former ski resort back to its natural habitat.
