Northeast ski hills struggling and the mild weather isn't helping

Morning North6:49The future of ski hills in the northeast

No one is skiing yet in the northeast. The warm weather has some wondering about the future of ski hills in the region. The CBC's Erik White hit the grassy slopes to talk about how ski hills in the north are coping.

It is officially winterin northeastern Ontario but it'sdefinitely not yet ski season.

The slopes in the region are still green and brown as another week of unseasonably warm weather keeps the snow away. Now,the dwindling number of skiing days is putting pressure on anindustry already under the gun thanks to the tightening of belts at city halls.

• Milder winter predicted for northeastern Ontario

In Greater Sudbury,both Adanac and Lively ski hills are expected to open when conditions are right, but the Capreol ski hill will instead be turned into a tobogganing hill. The city is hoping to save about $35,000 with the move.

Frank Madigan of Capreol was one of the volunteers who ran the Capreol ski hill for years before the city took it over.

"Let's call it a service," he said. "And services cost money and that's what taxes are for."

Sudbury city councillor Mike Jakubo voted to keep the Capreol ski hill open. But, he saidthis is part of a new approach the new council is taking to city services.

"Yes, we still want to provide that service, but we're going to provide it where we can get the closest to a break-even."

The city's ski hills were far from breaking even last winter: Adanac, Lively and Capreol lost a total of$310,000 in 2014.

Downhill outlook?

In North Bay, there are warnings that this could be the last season for Laurentian ski hill. It's run by theconservation authority, where Dave Mendicino is the chair.

He's calling on area's city and town councils to invest $65,000more every year.

"Now they're realizing that if we don't pony up here, that asset will be gone," said Mendicino.

Across northern Ontario, there are now very few private for-profit ski hills left,and many of those still operatingdo so with some help from public dollars.

Even the region's largest ski hill is preparing for a future when winters will be shorter and shorter.

SearchmontResort is spending $350,000 on new infrastructure that will allow it to open with less snow on the hill.That work is being paid for by public dollars from all three levels of government.

"The weather right now really isn't cooperating with us," saidColin Wilson,general manager ofSearchmont. "But when the weather does change, we'll be in a better position to open."

Wilson saideven with a long ski season last winter and an increase in lift ticket sales,Searchmontstill lost money.

The only privately-run hill in Greater Sudbury, the Onaping ski hill, closed a few years ago.