INGONISH, N.S. — Monday’s weather made for a perfect day on the slopes at Cape Smokey in Ingonish, N.S.
However, Martin Kejval, the general manager of Ski Cape Smokey, worries the price of gas will keep some skiers away from the hill.
“Well, it’s getting expensive for sure,” said Kejval.
Kejval says his first winter with the ski hill in full operation has been a challenging one, thanks to the Omicron variant and a lack of snow. Now, the price at the pumps is playing a part, as a destination like Cape Smokey requires some travel for most people.
“It’s unfortunate because we started this project before COVID and before inflation was even really a word,” said Kejval.
“We are trying to work on giving more experiences to people for the same amount of money, so that it’s worth the trip overall.”
Rodney Chiasson heads up the Highland Village Museum in Iona, N.S., another tourist attraction that’s a bit off the beaten path. He says he’s not sure how the increase in gas prices will affect summer traffic.
“Well, this is a bit of uncharted territory; we’ve never seen gas prices this high before,” said Chiasson.
“Certainly some of it will be offset by the pent-up demand that seems to be out there for people to get out and do things, for people to travel. So I think that will offset a little bit, but there’s certainly some worry.”
Meanwhile, officials at Ski Cape Smokey hope recent snowfall and better weather will result in high-traffic numbers during the coming March break in Nova Scotia. Now, because of gas prices, they’re taking a wait-and-see approach, but are still optimistic for the summer and future ski seasons.
“Hopefully, as we are kind of able to grow and move forward, people will see … that we are improving with the times,” said Kejval. “Hopefully within the next year we will be able to provide impeccable conditions to people which will even the price of travelling.”
