Owl's Head - New Ownership and Future Plans

[Paul]

News out of the Eastern Townships, Owl's Head is to be changing hands. There is an intent to purchase the mountain from the Korman Family who have been at the helm since the mountain's founding 50 years ago, by Sommet Memphrémagog lead by Gilles Bélanger. The story details on the future of the mountain and the investments to be made by the group to improve the infrastructure and renovations to the chalet. The link is from a local French newspaper La Tribune with all the details. I will keep a look out for an English link should there be one available.

http://www.lapresse.ca/la-tribune/actualites/201708/08/01-5123027-owls-head-change-de-main.php?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

[Shane]

Wow, that's big news. I know there was speculation for some time now of Owl's Head being sold. Hope they keep the same character and feel as before. Improvements to the chalet, and infrastructure would definitely be welcome. The mountain is stunning with an unforgettable view of the lake below. Definitely plenty of potential to improve on this and fully capitalize on the surrounding nature.

[Shane]

Hey Paul, I've been doing some looking and I can't find any real solid update on what's going on. Do you know of any news or advancement on this?

[Paul]

Hey Shane, your ears must have been ringing. I received a link via messenger late last night to an update on the story from a friend of mine. Will post the link after work today. From a quick glance, it is almost completed. 

The story in in the French regional newspaper la Tribune.

[Shane]

Thanks Paul. I just found it online. Going to read it now myself.

https://www.latribune.ca/actualites/estrie-et-regions/la-vente-dowls-head-bientot-completee-4b0cdc777f58f73c294a094c2599723e

The article indicates the sale will be completed on March 28th. The new owner is not revealing details yet as the sale is still in progress but has mentioned that new lifts, new snowmaking and new lodging and housing are planned in the future.

Perhaps investment by the Quebec government is still a possibility, but was delayed due to the sale transaction still in progress.

No doubt, the end of March is hotly anticipated and awaited, so we learn of more details.

[Guest OH skier]

It is official.  Owl's Head ownership changed on Wednesday, March 28, 2018.  The new administration will take the reins on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.  The mountain will close for the season on Sunday, April 8.  There will be a meeting with the employees on April 9 to roll out the plan for the mountain, golf course and marina.  Stay tuned........

[Shane]

Great news, thank you for sharing. Definitely, a mountain to follow over the summer months.

[Shane]

More details on La Tribune (in French only)

https://www.latribune.ca/actualites/estrie-et-regions/gilles-belanger-aux-commandes-a-owls-head-705f5820011cc355450180b72bf59ee9

As mentioned by Guest OH Skier above, there will be a staff meeting on April 9th with more details and plans. They are calling for $200 in investments, notably for lifts, slopeside condos and houses, among other things. We will have to see what gets announced over the coming weeks and months for the following ski season.

It wouldn't surprise me if a new lift was already in the works. From past experience, Doppelmayr is pretty good at keeping secrets on new lifts on order so we will have to see what Owl's Head announces...

With the green chair being what it is and the summit quad being critical to the mountain, perhaps a new lift here in the near future to assure reliable summit access, after the issues this winter. 

[Paul]

My first area of concentration would be replacing the Main Quad (1986-87) with a new detachable Quad, especially with the shape the Green Chair is in. At this point there is no backup to access the summit right now. Nothing has been said about the inspection results after the slide back of the chair on the cable earlier in the year. Chalet needs work as well. so this would probably be step one in the process. 

If the Green gets replaced at some point, you can't have another quad. Say if it was busy and both were running, you would not have the space for all the traffic at the top with 2 quads spinning at the same time. You are limited at the top. I remember days when both the Green and Quad were going, it was extremely crowded and I had to not only watch my lift, I had to direct traffic as well for my people getting off. A new triple at most to replace the Green double.

[Shane]

New article about the coming projects at Owl's Head (in French only).

https://www.latribune.ca/actualites/estrie-et-regions/trois-projets-dhotels-a-owls-head-35bc25bb928118f5a48bef3352e44483

To summarize briefly:

-3 new hotels to supplement the existing 40 some rooms available on site.

1. High range hotel of 150 rooms located by the Lac Memphrémagog. A spa will be attached to it.
2. Family oriented hotel near the ski trails.
3. A lodging near the golf course.

The rooms located in the actual ski chalet will be renovated over the coming months, and they plan to add an additional 40-50 rooms.

-A new ski lift will be installed on the West side of the mountain.

Overall $200 million invested by Destination Owl's Head over the coming years with $40 million for 2018.

Very exciting.

[Paul]

The work has already started at Owl’s Head! A little piece of history came down this week. The Baby Double Chair has been dismantled. Installed at Owls Head back in the beginning days of the mountain, around 1965-66, the Baby Chair began its life before that at the long defunct Mont Sourir at the Lantern Inn on the other side of Lake Memphrémagog just outside of Magog, QC. When it was at the Lantern this lift had the designation of being the shortest chairlift in Canada at just over 1000ft in length.

Here is a photo of the Baby Chair this past winter. Unfortunately the link to a video I had seen will not work.

[Shane]

That's too bad. It would seem like things are progressing quickly already. Any news on the Green Chair? Have they already started to take it down as well?

[Paul]

Nothing as of yet on the Green Chair but one might assume it would be next. Now from what I had heard from my last visit, whether this is true or not, the Main Quad is to be realigned and brought a bit closer to the chalet so you won't have to climb the ridge any more. So by bringing the Baby chair down, this will give room to make that move on the Main Quad. The Quad is to then end where the Centennial and Peak trails begin. I am going to follow this as much as I can over the summer and see what projects are done.

[Shane]

Interesting realignment if they actually do that. I would see that as being an improvement to move it closer to the chalet. I always found it was a bit on the far side from the chalet than what is normally done. The top I guess would move to the right and a bit more up from where it is if I am understanding you correctly?

Overall, alot of work to move all the towers and terminals to accomplish this. Would make more sense to level the ground down more to create the room needed lower down and just move the bottom terminal and drive. I was also thinking that if they move the top to the right from its current position that it would create room for another arriving chairlift (the one they mention in a recent article for the west side of the mountain), perhaps could end near the old green's top station.

Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to find out more details.

How did you hear about the baby Red being removed?

[Paul]

The top would be over to the right and up just a touch. Levelling the ridge would most likely be apart of the work involved. I would imagine with the Baby gone, the cedars that run up that side would be cut back a bit up the hill. Yes it would be a huge job to realign the Quad. Land to be surveyed, some of the new lift line to be cut, new tower bases, and to level the old ones. When I was too lazy to climb the ridge, I hopped the Baby double and ski down to the Quad! 

As for the Green, my theory is that it comes out and is replaced by another quad, possibly fixed grip. With the top of the Main Quad being relocated, then there would be enough space for traffic at the top from both lifts. There you would need a back up lift for the summit should there are problems with the Main Quad. The new lift may only go as high as the big corner on Lilly's Leap or in that general area, like what was on the mountain model all those years ago.

A buddy of mine who works at OH posted a video of them pulling the tower down on FB. 

 

 

[Shane]

Thanks for the info Paul. If you want to share the Facebook video here just open it or open the post and then copy and paste the link here and it should embed. 

[Shane]

Hi Paul, have you heard any news from Owl's Head lately?

[Paul]

Hey Shane, I haven't heard of anything since the sale of the Green Chairs from a couple of weeks ago. Nothing publicly anyway. If the chairs are off the Green line, one would suspect the tear down of the lift is not far behind. Nothing firm yet. 

[Paul]

Owl’s Head Update: There have now been 2 chairlifts that have been removed. Not only has the original Baby Chair been taken down, the Green Chair has now been taken down. No formal announcement from OH on the subject though. Everyone had known about the sale of the Green chairs off the line, but as for the dismantling of the rest of the chair was not mentioned but was assumed at that point. No photos yet as it was a message from a friend of mine this morning. 

[Paul]

Here is a link on Facebook that has been shared a few times. Photo of the Colorado without the Green Chair.