New Brunswick Ski Resort Upgrading Chairlift This Fall

On Mai 15, 2024

Central Hainesville, New Brunswick- A planned upgrade will help make Crabbe Mountain’s only chairlift more reliable.

The CBC reports that Crabbe Mountain will be replacing the motor system of its sole chairlift. The $500,000 CAD two-week project will take place this November. For numerous years, chairlift breakdowns have been commonplace, leading to frustrated customers. Its most notable incident came in 2017 when an electrical issue led to 50 people needing to be evacuated by local firefighters. The chairlift’s issues, along with warmer weather, led to significantly decreased visitation during the 2023-24 season.

With this upgraded system, they are beginning to focus on what off-season activities they can offer. Currently, they’re aiming for sightseeing rides and hosting more special events. In addition, they’re considering building a mountain biking park. However, according to Crabbe Mountain General Manager Jordan Cheney, that is a couple of years out:

“We have all this parking and lodge facility and chairlift and property 12 months of the year, but we only use it for ski season. So [we’re] finding unique ways to be able to continue operating year round … especially with the unreliability of winters the last few years.”

It’ll be a couple million dollars to get ourselves set up for mountain biking properly. So we’re looking at ways to get at that. Certainly after a year like we had, we’re not in a position to put a couple million dollars in a mountain-bike park…

It will take time to be able to build the off-season to match the winter season —revenue-wise — but the question I always ask myself is … where was skiing in the 1950s and 1960s, right? It took decades to grow it to the point we have now, and it’s got to start somewhere. The sooner we make that leap and … start growing that side of the business, that just sets us up for the next 60 years.”