Grouse Mountain closed all day Monday due to wind

Bad news for those hoping to do some spring season skiing Monday: Wind has forced Grouse Mountain to close temporarily.

The announcement was made on social media after 8 a.m. that mountaintop activities had to be paused for the morning. Just after 11:30 a.m., as conditions did not improve, the mountain was officially closed for the rest of the day.

There are no wind warnings in effect for Metro Vancouver or the North Shore, but there are a few for some surrounding areas. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the Sunshine Coast and parts of Vancouver Island will see strong winds gusting up to 90 km/h until the afternoon.

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Those hoping to drive to another mountain will find themselves out of luck as the other North Shore ski hills — Cypress and Seymour — have already closed for the season.

However, Whistler Blackcomb is still open Monday, but it is expected to be very busy as many families take the day off for an extended long weekend and several events are being held on the mountain.

Monday is also Whistler’s last day of the 2021/2022 season, however, Blackcomb will still be open for a few more weeks. The resort will be switching to summer activities following the Easter long weekend, with mountain biking set to begin May 13.

The resort saw a significant hit throughout the pandemic, but Whistler Blackcomb Senior Communications Manager Jennifer Smith says it feels great to be able to hold events, like Monday’s Slush Cup, on the hill again.

“Tourism is back on the rise, and we saw that this year the international guests were starting to come back in as each country comes online we certainly see a little bit of a bump and some new people coming in. Right now we are starting to see Australia returning,” Smith said.

Smith adds that they are actively hiring staff and are hoping the summer season and next year’s winter season continue to show signs of recovery.

“We definitely did have a little bit of challenges this year. Of course, like everyone, there is the North America wide staffing shortage but we are in a bit different situation because three quarters of the people who work here – this is their lifelong career.”