With not much happening this winter due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people embraced the outdoor activities that have looser restrictions in place like outdoor rinks, skate paths, and ski hills.
For Asessippi Ski Resort—just north of Russell, Manitoba—a large chunk of its business comes from Saskatchewan with it located less than half an hour from the border.
Assistant GM Shannon Johnston said they saw an impact on business as a result of the Manitoba border restrictions.
“We have a lot of season pass holders who are on the border and are just as close to us as Russell, Manitoba. They’re about 15 minutes away, so we have a lot of people that are contacting us about their season pass. We’ve never had a full tracking of how many people come from Saskatchewan and how many people come from Manitoba, but if the refund requests that are rolling in to my desk are any indication, I think we’re going to have a bit of a hit to us—we should have a better idea over the next few weeks.”