Move over Mont Tremblant? Group wants to bring downhill skiing back to Mount Royal

Whistler, Mont Tremblant...Mount Royal?

Montreal's mountain may be a far cry from some of Canada's more celebrated ski destinations, but that's not stopping a new non-profit called La Pente Neige from dreaming a little downhill dream.

And "little" is really the operative word here: The group wants to introduce skiing to underprivileged kids under the age of 12 on a short slope behind the George-Etienne Cartier monument on Parc Avenue.

The slope's location is ideal because it's accessible by public transit, said La Pente Neige co-founder Estban Dravet.

"Skiing is a part of the heritage of this park and Montreal,"Dravetsaid.

"More than that, skiing is a great way to get kids active outdoors in the winter."

Dravet grew up in the shadow of the French Alps and wants Montreal kids to also have easy access to skiing.

Just like old times

The organization's call to skis harks back to days gone by on Mount Royal whereskiing was a popular pastime as far back as the 1880s.

At various points, skiers on Mount Royal had access to a T-bar lift on a slope near Beaver Lake and an anotherlift on a hillbehind the Universit de Montral.

It was only in the 1990s that interest dwindled and the city closed the slopes, the group says.

La Pente Neige has presented a plan to the City of Montreal with the goal of launching a three-day pilot project in early 2017.

The city, however, said the approval process involves a number of steps and is not likely for 2017.

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