HISTORY - Mont Saint-Sauveur - Nordique and Étoile chairlifts, Terrace and T-Bar 70 - 2008-2011
2003 is the year I first started skiing at Mont Saint-Sauveur, so the following images show some of the more notable and larger changes that have taken place on the mountain.
First up is the replacement of the legendary Nordique triple chair. This chair was installed in 1976, the same year that Mont Saint-Sauveur started really developing, which includes the current chalet at the base of the mountain. The lift was replaced in the fall of 2008.
The Nordique triple chairlift was built by Doppelmayr in 1976. It carries some legendary status due to it being the first and last lift to open each season, serving the 70 West and Nordique trails. This lift also operates in the summer to give access to two water slide attractions, with a mid-station located 1/3 of the way up the mountain.
The triple chair remained in operation after the ski season came to a close and served the water park for one last summer. During the first week of September, it was decommissioned.
Notice the drive shaft for the bull wheel protruding underneath.
The lift was completely dismantled in a matter of a week or two. Construction of the new Étoile quad lift began almost immediately after.
The new lift opened around Christmas in 2008. This state of the art installation also included a loading carpet.
Half-Moon Terrace and Pool-Spa
The same year the triple chair was replaced, other changes nearby were also taking place. In fact, as soon as the Empire Shakedown of 2008 wrapped up, the half-moon terrace was torn down and the pool in front of the chalet was excavated.
This pool was known for hosting a summer snow and splash event, in which skiers would come down a small snowy slope and do crazy stunts while going off the jump into the pool.
The new pool was described as a pool-spa, featuring 2 hot tubs and a profiled pool, filled with large rocks and waterfalls. The new deck also has a heated stone floor and a fountain (fire pit in the winter). The reconstruction of the new deck and pool was completed early July of 2008.
T-Bar 70
A more recent change was the expansion of the main chalet, with a new restaurant and bar, named the T-Bar 70, after the first T-Bar in North America installed in the 1930s on the slopes outside. I unfortunately do not seem to have any pictures of the old Bistro Bar but I do have some pictures I took during the construction of the new T-Bar 70 in the summer and fall of 2011.
The new restaurant opened in December of 2011, with two levels, in a greatly expanded space, a deliciously full menu (the Natchos Supreme and the Ryder Burger were back!), plenty of seating options with great views and more.
SlopeEdge completed an interview and tour of the new T-Bar 70 during it's official opening.
