Mission Ridge Winter Park opens for the season

People looking to hit the slopes and get some outdoor exercise in these COVID times have the all-clear from the provincial government.

Earlier this month, the province lifted capacity restrictions on ski hills. That included Mission Ridge Winter Park in Fort Qu’Appelle, which opened on Saturday.

Anders Svenson is Mission Ridge’s business manager and part-owner. He said the experience is pretty similar to what you would have in a normal year.

“Very little has changed. The reality is that it’s a naturally distant sport. That’s the nice part of having 32.7 acres of terrain out there. You’re not very close to anybody. To be six feet apart, we could have tens of thousands of people here,” he said.

There are still COVID restrictions. There is signage for social distancing at places like the lifts, and masks are mandatory at all times.

“It’s just far easier that everyone wears (a mask) all the time. It’s a simple rule to follow,” he said.

Even though they haven’t yet been open for a full weekend, Svenson is already feeling great about being back in business.

“It has been just fantastic to see everybody again … There are so many people who are excited to get back out and do what they truly love doing,” he said.

“Tons of smiles. Well, I’m assuming. You can only tell by the eye expression, but it certainly seems like people are having fun.”