Brookvale Provincial Ski Park - 50 years of history!

This history was originally drafted by Jeannie Lea an active volunteer involved with ski organizations on PEI. It was issued as a background document by the Provincial Government of PEI during the period that Jeannie served in the cabinet of Premier Catherine Callbeck (1993 to 1996). In 2017 Erin Curley, Brown's Volkswagen Snowschool Coordinator with Tourism PEI, updated this to cover the entire 50 year period. Sincere appreciation to both Jeannie and Erin in allowing us to share this document and for their efforts to record ski history on PEI.

50 years of history!

The mid sixties on P.E.I. saw several attempts made to develop ski operations.  These hills developed the interest for the sport of Alpine skiing among several Summerside families.

It was learned by these enthusiasts that the first Canada Winter Games were to be held during our Centennial year 1967 at Quebec City in February and that Alpine ski racing would be included.  Prince Edward Island would be eligible to send seventeen skiers if there was a ski club registered with the Canadian Alpine Ski Association.

The interest was there and a club was formed in the winter of 1966.  The next requirement was a steeper and longer hill.

Summerside’s Ken Judson, one of the original skiers, recall’s “Many Saturdays and Sundays were spent with Lloyd Miller driving through the country, carrying our skis, walking up and skiing down hills, looking for the right one”.

After hearing about the hills in the Kelly’s Cross area, one of Ken’s trips to Charlottetown in October ’66 on a muddy, clay road, landed him at the bottom of the best hill he’d seen on the Island.  “There it was!”  It was steep, it faced North, it wasn’t as long as I had hoped, but it had potential”. 

A small company was formed by four individuals interested in developing the hill and to further develop the sport.  It included Ken Judson, Lloyd Miller, Laurie Coles and Creelman MacArthur – all from Summerside.

The group approached the Premier of the day, Alex Campbell, to try and convince him that the Province needed a winter ski park.  They met with success and the Province guaranteed a bank loan in their names with the understanding that the province would eventually take it over.

The four partners divided up the work and with the help of many volunteers the hill was developed. The land was purchased from the Curley family.  Cross country trails were also cut at this time with the help of the Boy Scouts.  Two army huts were acquired and turned into a club house, ski shop and restaurant.

By Christmas of 1966 the park was ready to go, however, a problem – no snow!  Finally, with the help of Mother Nature, snow arrived and the hill (or mini mountain as it was called) was officially opened by Premier Alex Campbell on January 28, 1967.

That first season a ski racing program was started.  As reported in the Guardian “thirty-one competitors turned out at the park to ski in the first giant slalom to be held in the history of PEI”.  From this auspicious event a team was selected.  In February 1967 the team was sent to compete at the Winter games in Quebec City.  It was reported that the racers were petrified when they saw Mount Ste Anne.  The Winnipeg Free Press quoted the Manitoba coach as saying “He thought that he saw members of the PEI ski team faint at the site of the mountain”.

Alan Holman opened a ski shop providing ski equipment rentals which advertised “Everything you need to enjoy skiing is waiting for you in Holmans Ski Shop, Brookvale, Mini Mountain”.

In 1968 a Nancy Greene Ski School was started.  Nancy Greene herself visited the hill several times to help set up the program.  Qualified instructors included Ken Judson, Don Bartlett, Tom and Pat Richardson.

Betty Blake, who was involved for fourteen years with the ski school, recalls the Richardsons as the driving force behind the ski school.  Over 80 children were involved in the early days.  Unit three school buses were used to transport those from the Charlottetown area to the hill.  “It was a wonderful experience being involved over the years.  A common bond seems to form between skiers of all ages.  Many Island children learned how to ski because of the program.  The people working at Brookvale were all very co-operative”.  In 1992 the ski school grew to over 250 students enrolled.

In 1971 at the winter games held in Saskatoon the P.E.I. Alpine ski team placed 7^th out of twelve teams, beating Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon and Northwest Territories. It was especially gratifying to beat team Manitoba. This was a remarkable achievement given the early stages in the development of the sport on the Island and the size of our only training hill at Brookvale. This training hill was only long enough for 10 race gates most standard race courses are 60 gates. Racers who placed well included Brett Judson, Mike Read and Rick Zuliani.

At this time Senator Lorne Bonnell was the minister for parks in those early days. The late Brigadier W.W. Reid was the Deputy Minister. The Provincial Government did not take the facility over in the second season so again the original four ran the hill.

In 1968 the Provincial Government took over the facility and still maintains it to this day. At this time there was a double rope tow. The Government then installed a t-bar, developed the intermediate hill and tobogganing area. An unsuccessful attempt was made to have a skating rink at the park.

Frank Curley, who has worked at the Ski Park over the years, recalls the shortest ski season occurred when the hill was only able to open for a very short time from February 23 – March 7^th in 1970. He also remembers that in 1973 the first sophisticated, New Bombardier snow groomer was purchased.

In 1974 a new updated rental shop was opened by the Government. The inventory included approximately 100 pairs of cross country skis and about 50 pairs of alpine skis. The first “groomed” cross country ski trails were added using private land, with the permission from the land owners.

On a special “CBC Day” in 1978 it was estimated that over 6000 people used the park facilities.

In 1986 the first snowmaking equipment on P.E.I was purchased for Brookvale Ski Park. The ability to make snow would greatly help keep the facility operating despite the weather conditions and uncertain snow falls.

A new lodge was built in 1990 for the upcoming season of 1991. Also, an extension of 50 feet was added to the top of the ski hill. In February of 1991 saw P.E.I. hosting the Canada Winter Games. Unfortunately due to the size of our ski hill we were not able to hold the alpine ski section of the games.

In the fall of 1991 big changes took place with the replacement of the old system by a quad chair lift and new T-bar. Also, many of the runs were reshaped and greatly improved. Brookvale has almost tripled in size going from 13 acres of ski able terrain to the 35 acres it is today.

Twenty five years ago on January 28^th 1967, Premier Alex Campbell opened the facility and was pictured in the guardian skiing through a ribbon with Elizabeth Miller, a young skier. In 1992, the modern facility featured a quad chair lift, new t-bar,50 foot extension to the hill, modern lodge and many miles of top cross country ski trails. Minister of Tourism and Parks, Hon Gordon MacInnis officially opened this updated park on its 25^th anniversary.

In 1999 the tubing hill was built and lift installed on the west side of the property on the old McManus property. The last year for the tubing hill lift was 2006.

In 2007-2008 The new maintenance shop was finished. The PEI Ski and Snowboard School was purchased and taken over by the government. In 2009 the T-Bar was removed, a new Nordic Snowmobile and tow behind grooming system was purchased to keep the cross country trails in great condition. In 2015-2016 big upgrades came to the snow making at the hill, upgrades included a new 150 horse power water pump and 3 new portable stick snow guns.

Blazing the Trail: Pioneers of Winter Recreation on PEI, fills in additional details and is located on this blog as well.