Canada
Birthday bash
Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, celebrated its 75th anniversary with a host of events throughout last season. In February on the resort’s recognised ‘birthday’ visitors were encouraged to dress in historic ski costumes and could ski and snowboard for free. Birthday cake was also served to the crowd. Here we take a whistle stop tour of some of the highlights from the last 75 years
Skiers and snowboarders formed themselves into a ‘75’ for a special anniversary photo.
1931
The Kandahar Ski Club, founded by Arnold Lunn and other British skiers in 1924, donated a cup to the Canadian Amateur Ski Association to be given to the winner of a downhill/slalom championship. Members of the Montreal Red Birds chose Mont Tremblant for the event, even though there were no developed trails on the mountain. This race was held on 13 March, 1932 and the racers had to avoid obstacles such as trees and cliff. In 1933, the Kandahar became the first official trail in Mont Tremblant.
1936
John L. Bédard, president of the Saint-Jovite Ski Club organised the first Taschereau Cup, a downhill race for intermediate to advanced skiers. This race took place in the brand new Taschereau trails created on Mont-Tremblant during the summer of 1935.
1938
Joseph Bondurant Ryan recognised that the advent of war would prevent the Alps from being accessible and therefore he decided he had to build a ski resort that offered everything the French Alps had to offer. In the spring of 1938, he bought land at the base of Mont Tremblant and less than a year later the Mont-Tremblant Lodge was born. He hired Kare Nansen, the son of the illustrious Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian, who happened to be one of the greatest polar explorers of all time, to design the new ski area.
1939
February 12 saw the official opening of the Mont-Tremblant Ski Lodge, plus the inauguration of the first chair lift and eight trails making Tremblant the first large ski resort to open in Quebec.
1941
Another new lift helped attract 4,100 visitors to Tremblant during the winter of 1940-1941. These visitors included skiers from all over the world and several celebrities.
1946
Development of the north side of Mont Tremblant began. When finished it allowed skiers to ski well into spring as the snow stayed longer on this side of the mountain.
Tremblant in 1939
1941
Another new lift helped attract 4,100 visitors to Tremblant during the winter of 1940-1941. These visitors included skiers from all over the world and several celebrities.
1946
Development of the north side of Mont Tremblant began. When finished it allowed skiers to ski well into spring as the snow stayed longer on this side of the mountain.
1953
Tremblant founder, Joseph Bondurant Ryan, passed away in 1950 and a cup in his memory was donated by his wife Mary for the winner of the first Ryan Classic which became an annual giant slalom race. Bondurant Ryan, was buried in Tremblant’s Saint-Bernard chapel.
1965
Mary Ryan continued to manage and develop the Mont-Tremblant Lodge but when her 22 year old son, a formula one race car driver, was killed she sold the Mont-Tremblant Lodge to her friend and businessman André Charron. He in turn took on Jean-Louis Lévesque and Roger Beauchemin as associates and together they became official owners of Mont Tremblant.
1979
With more investment needed for upgrades a decision was made to sell Tremblant to la Fédération des Caisses d’entraide.
1983
Mary Ryan died and was buried next to her husband and son in the cemetery of the Saint-Bernard chapel.
1984
The ownership of Tremblant changed once more when it was taken over by M. Louis-Pierre Lapointe who ran the ski area until 1991. During his tenure he installed the Tremblant Express, a quadruple lift which allowed access to White Peak.
1988
The quadruple Tremblant Express was taken down to make way for the first gondola chair lift to link the base of the Versant Sud to the mountain top. Ten years later, it became the Télécabine Express.
1991
The Intrawest Corporation bought Mont Tremblant and began promoting it as an all year round destination.
1993
The opening of Versant Edge saw the inauguration of eight trails including two glade skiing trails.
1993
Two new quadruple lifts were added - the TGV and the Expo. The Avalanche, an artificial snow system was installed. Eighteen more ski trails were also added.
Tremblant in 1941
1999
Versant Soleil opened with 15 new trails including four glade skiing trails, increasing the skiing area by 20% (100 acres) and bringing the number of trails to 92. This year also saw the opening of the Refuge restaurant.
2006
Fortress Investment acquired Intrawest and Station Mont Tremblant.
2009
June 24 marked the opening of Casino de Mont-Tremblant.
2013
During the 75th anniversary celebrations, the Grand Prix trail was renamed Erik Guay, in honour of the 2011 downhill world champion. The giant trail also became the Jasey-Jay Anderson trail, in honour of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics gold medallist snowboard champion.
2014
Tremblant celebrates its 75th anniversary with a full calendar of special events.
