Sir Sam's Ski / Ride — Attraction in Dysart et al

I’ve been skiing here for 30 years (since I was a kid) and have so many great memories here. It was very sad to visit this year and have such a disappointing experience. Under new ownership the focus seems to be have been on changing the food and chalet services - at a cost to both the quality and accessibility of those services, and sadly the care and attention to the actual ski hill.

On Dec 28 after the most snow we’ve had in years, steps had not been taken to get the far side open, which led to a very large volume of people using the hill with only two lifts open. The tunnel lift was running for the bunny hill only, so was also not useable for the few runs that were open. Seems it would have been simple and helpful to just open the full tunnel. Time has also been spent creating new snow shoe trails, but not getting the ski runs and lifts open. This all resulted in 20-30 minutes wait times for the chair, a problem that was directly attributable to the limited number of lifts open. I have never experienced such a thing in 30 years. With the amount of snowfall, I have a hard time understanding why effort was not made to have additional runs and lifts open for what was sure to be a busy week during the holidays. At the very least, lift tickets should have been sold at a reduced price due to the wait times and limited number of runs that resulted from this. It seems that the focus has been on making changes to the indoor facilities at a cost to appropriate focus to the actual ski hill itself.

Unfortunately, most of the changes to the indoor facilities also seem to be problematic. The entire menu has been “upgraded” resulting in a high cost that makes it inaccessible for many of the families who have traditionally frequented the ski hill. Wait times are also atrocious - it took 35 minutes to get through a line to pay for 2 self serve coffees. Those ordering food were waiting that long + another 15-20 minutes while their food was prepared outside. One would think that an easy solution for families would be to bring their own lunch - unfortunately there is next to no seating left in the chalet for those who tried to do this. An entire section of seating has been removed to sell merchandise and to house the aforementioned 35 minute long line for food. 2/3 of the chalet has been changed into a “sit down” restaurant where you now have to wait in a line for a table and then order food that people were waiting over an hour for. As a result, there was really not enough indoor seating left for those just wanting a short break from skiing or to sit down and eat the lunch they brought with them. I am not sure where parents who bring their kids but don’t ski themselves are meant to spend the day now. We ate out lunch (which we brought after being warned about the long wait times for food) on the deck in the cold on snow covered picnic tables. I just do not understand the logic of these changes - it’s primarily a ski hill, not a dining experience, is it not? And if not, perhaps a rebranding is in order to let people know ahead of time or a reduction in the cost of lift tickets to better reflect this new focus on food and dining.

I can appreciate the new owners have wanted to update things and make it their own. Sadly, these changes have resulted in a sharp decline in accessibility and enjoyment for those who are there to ski (i.e., most if not all of the people there). I know that we will not be returning unless some of these issues are addressed. I heard the same sentiments expressed by many others yesterday, and some who had decided not to purchase a seasons pass after many years of doing so. A very sad day for what used to be a favourite place to spend...

My family has been season ticket holders for many years at Sir Sams until this year. We thought we would give the changes a chance since they happened over COVID, however, things have not changed for the better. In my option, the new owner has killed the ski hill vibe. The loss of the cafeteria/chalet style seating is the biggest mistake to their changes. Wait times up to 90 mins for food and bill. Not to mention the the food is very over priced. Large area where seating used to be is being used for merchandise and a make shift cafeteria that’s only open on weekends. There’s no where to sit that’s not part of the restaurant. Part of my family has young children. One tried, but didn’t want to ski, so there’s no where for them to sit while the rest of the family skis. I think the restaurant idea is great for apres ski hours and in the off season. But does not belong as the only option in the ski season. Not to mention charging full price for half the hill being open. We are local people who love to support local venues but sadly, I have brought my skis home for the season and have no plans on returning here at least until...

Stayed at a friend's cottage nearby on the weekend and went to Sir Sam's with the kids for some skiing on Saturday. Absolutely perfect conditions with great weather. Not too cold, no wind, glorious sun and perfect snow. Kids had lessons and the instructor really knew how to handle and encourage the kids. We were very impressed. They were up on the big hill in no time!

Buying passes and getting the rental skis was smooth and quick, and everyone we dealt with were friendly and patient. The lady at the desk promised the kids gummy bears when they came back (as long as they tried really hard!) and of course, the kids didn't forget. When we came back she was all out of gummy bears, but she told us to wait. She went away for a good while and came back with two bags of assorted candy for the kids - they were extremely happy! Talk about service going above and beyond!

We just couldn't have asked for a better experience for first-time skiing with the kids, and we will make sure we come back whenever we...