The last two Mondays we featured two lost Quebec ski areas from the Eastern Townships. This week we decided to head North into the heartland of Canadian skiing. Mont Christie was only one of many small family own and local ski areas in the Laurentians. Located 40 minutes from Montreal in Christieville between St-Sauveur and Morin Heights, the ski area had modest statistics with 12 ski runs, 3 T-bars on a 560ft (171 meters) vertical hill.
As skiing was becoming increasingly popular, a rope tow was installed on the slope in 1945. Soon after the Elder family took over the operations. The ski area was up to five T-bars in 1963 and had a new type of lift in 1967 called a Snow-Tram.
source: Laurentian Ski Museum
This was essentially a sled pulled by a cable powered by a diesel motor and equipped with a speed control, brake and steering mechanism. The unusual lift could carry 12 people up the hill at a time and operated until 1970.
Mont Christie had to compete with many ski areas in St-Sauveur and immediate vicinity; ski areas like Bellevue, La Marquise, Morin Heights, Mont Habitant, Mont Olympia, Mont Gabriel, Mont Avalanche and Mont St-Sauveur. Mont Christie is being developed into a residential area, the ski operated ceased in the early 1990s. Bellevue and La Marquise are also part of the long list of lost Laurentians ski areas.
This week brochure is from circa 1979-80. Adults lift ticket were $8 and a family season pass was $275 and $70 for each additional junior. Their was a sealing price for family at $500. A friend of mine in Grade School back in the 1970s was a regular at Mont Christie; maximum price for a family might have been one reason. William was part of a big Montreal Irish family that had 13 kids.
One of many elements that were geared to families like comfortable box lunch facilities, beginners slopes with own lift and family ski chalets to rent. Mont Christie was slogan seemed appropriate: Where Skiing Families Rendez-Vous.
Sources:
Laurentian Heritage: DOWNHILL SKIING IN THE LAURENTIANS, PART 2: MOVING NORTH by Sandra Stock
Laurentian Ski Museum: History of skiing in the Laurentians – Mont Christie
Click on image to enlarge
Mont Christie was were i learned to ski when I was 6 years old. Now 31, sorry to see it closed down
Many Laurentians ski areas have closed in the last 20-30 years. Gray Rocks, Mont Alouette, Mont Ste-Agathe, Côte 40-80, Sun Valley, Mont Sauvage, Cochand/Auberge Yvan Coutu et plusieurs autres.
It’s also where i learned to ski, I’m 15 now and it is now being developed for houses
J’y ai travailler 5 ou 6 saisons! autour des années 80. Quel bon temps!
Je me crois pas avoir déjà skié le Mont Christie. Dans mes premières années de ski, ma mère aimait se promener suivant d’un centre de ski à l’autre avec l’aide du livret de Ski-Ami, celui autrait été au début des années 70. Nous avons fait la majorité de notre ski à Tremblant à partir de 1973 comme ma mère venait d’y acheter un chalet dans son village natal.