North Shore mountains finally opening as climate change shortens ski seasons

The comforting hum of a gondola was music to the ears of many happy downhill enthusiasts who lined up to ski down Grouse Mountain Friday.

It was one of the latest openings on record for the mountain — which is about to celebrate 100 years in operation — fuelling concerns about the future of the ski industry on a warming planet.

Mike Douglas is a professional skier and an advocate against climate change. He says that while late openings can happen for any number of reasons, they are part of a broader trend: warming temperatures are shortening ski seasons, making climate change an existential threat to the ski industry.

“In Canada, when we talk about the economy, we often talk things like gas and oil and forestry and mining and these sorts of things,” he said.

“The outdoor recreation economy is massive in this country, and not only that, it’s part of our cultural fabric. It kind of makes us who we are.”

With Cypress and Seymour opening on Saturday, Grouse is far from alone, but it’s adapting with a multi-faceted approach. This means putting more emphasis on its summer offerings, such as mountain biking, and working with new snowmaking machinery that doesn’t require bitter cold.

“This season we’re trialling the Latitude 90 L60 machine that enables us to make snow in any conditions, even up to 20 degrees Celsius,” said Emily Leak, communications manager for Grouse Mountain.

Meanwhile, skiers are excited.

“I think there is definitely some pent-up energy,” Leak said.

“Everybody has been super stoked, counting down the minutes.”

One outdoor enthusiast summed it up.

“For nine months, I exercised and prepared for the skiing. That’s the only purpose I want to live [for].”