Mount Orford (French: Mont Orford) is a ski resort in the Eastern Townships region of the Canadian province of Quebec, Canada. It is a few minutes away from the town of Magog and one hour from Montreal. The ski resort consists of three summits: Mont Giroux, Mont Orford and Mont Alfred Desrochers, and four sides. It is the home mountain of Olympic medalist Nicolas Fontaine, and there is a glade named in his honour. The main summit, Orford, is served by a $6.5 million "Hybrid Chairlift" or Telemix. This means that on one single cable, instead of only gondolas or only chairs, there are both 8-person gondolas and 6-person chairs. This system is rather common in Europe, but it was the first of its kind in North America. In 2006, the provincial government and then-Environment Minister Claude Béchard announced the increase of the size of Orford as a national park. In addition, they would have sold the ski resort and golf course to private interests despite opposition from environmental groups. Inside the 80 hectares sold, developers planned to built condominiums, restaurants, boutiques and a hotel which opposed several groups. The planned development was to be similar to Mont-Tremblant but to a lesser degree and several project were planned in the past. [1]. However, on May 7, 2007, new Environment Minister Line Beauchamp announced that the province will not sell Orford [2]
Mountain details
| Summit Elevation | 850 m (2800 ft) |
|---|---|
| Vertical Drop | 540 m (1772 ft) |
| Skiable area | 246 acres (1.0 km²) |
| Number of trails | 56 |
| Longest Trail | 4 km |
| Nearest Town/City | Magog, Quebec |
| Average Season | November through April |
Facilities
- Triple yurt summit lodge, unique in the province
- Base lodge with bar, cafeteria and rooftop terraces
- Summit Snack-Bar
- Telemix
- Mix of groomed cruising trails and challenging moguls/glades
- Ski shop, repair shop, and rental center
