Chicopee getting ready to open Jan. 15

If you’ve been waiting to hit the slopes at Chicopee, you can circle Jan. 15 on your calendar.

Chicopee Ski and Summer Resort in Kitchener will officially open to the public on Monday.

Chicopee CEO Bill Creighton said it’s been a tough start to the ski and snowboarding season, with mild temperatures and not much snow for most of December and January.

The conditions started to change this week, with two wintry weather systems hitting southern Ontario.

With the temperature cooling down, Creighton said they now feel confident that they’ll be able to open and stay open.

“The big thing for us, is once we get open — we like to stay open right through to the end of March, so we want to make sure that the base is secure before we open,” explained Creighton.

He said they need cold temperatures to be able to make snow for the hills, and with the upcoming forecast showing more consistent frigid temps, they were able to make the decision to open Jan. 15 for the 2024 winter season.

As for what it takes to get the local ski hills up and running, Creighton said in addition to cold temperatures, they use a ton of water.

“We put about 25-million gallons of water on the hill,” explained Creighton. “It’s a lot of water!”