- Details
- Written by: Jim Walker
- Last Updated: 20 Aug 2012
Stoneham Mountain Resort is the closest of three ski areas local to Quebec City, only 20 minutes from the city centre. It is the ski hill that many Quebec locals call home. Along with Mont-Sainte-Anne, it participates in a joint lift ticket so it is easy to stay in central Quebec and enjoy the shopping, nightlife and facilities of the historic city then head out for your day on the slopes. Alternatively you can do it the other way round and stay close to the slopes and enjoy the après-ski scene there, then head in to the city whenever you like. Apart from a reputation for a happy, lively après-ski scene; Stoneham has built notoriety as a snowboarding centre and for operating the largest network for night skiing in Canada, with 16 trails illuminated covering nearly 10 miles (16km) of piste. The 2004 season was a memorable one in Stoneham's history. The resort celebrated 40 years of existence and one of the highlights of the celebrations was, without a doubt, the naming of the resort's 32 trails. Visitors were asked to contribute by sharing their favourite memories of Stoneham, and over 700 suggestions were received. Among those to remember is trail #1, which was named after Walter Moisan, the founder of the resort in 1964. Other trails were named after the resort's pioneers and figures representing Stoneham's local heritage. Subsequently the resort has spent $6m on a new snowmaking system which helps the resort to open early and sustain operations through the winter.
Year round destination resort with comprehensive snow-making, night-skiing, ski-in accommodation and a ski school employing over 150 instructors. The big city facilities of Québec are only 20 minutes drive away.
Mountain
With more than thirty trails spread over four mountains and a vertical drop of 420m (1,380 feet), Stoneham caters to every category of skier and snowboarder. For beginners, trail 6 has safety features including a reduced speed zone. At the other extreme advanced skiers and boarders have access to three trails designed especially for them, forming an extreme zone on mountain number 4. The third peak also has some great double black diamonds with steeps and moguls. Most of the rest of the terrain suits everyone in between. Nestled in a horse-shoe shaped valley, Stoneham is protected from most of the harsh winds and humidity emanating from the St Lawrence river, but just to be on the safe side the resort defies Mother Nature by protecting visitors riding to the summit from the cold, with pull down weather protection hoods on Lift H - a high-speed quad chair.
Families
The Kidz Island Childrens Center offers programs especially designed for children from age two. Children aged three years and older can discover skiing with games and activities. Daycare services including the infant's nursery is available every day. To encourage little ones to get a taste for snowsports, the Harfang des Neiges trail, affectionately known as the School Slope, has recently been reworked and equipped with obstacles and figurines to show which way to go. Older children aged from seven to 17 can hone their technique with a series of ski courses that include an introduction to competition, an assistant instructor's module and a freestyle course. Under the supervision of a qualified instructor all day, budding champions are encouraged to perfect their skills, develop a taste for adventure and decide which type of further training would be best for them.
Eating Out
There are four restaurants located at the base of the mountain. Le Feu Follet restaurant offers French cuisine and a specialty of grill and seafood in a friendly atmosphere, with a superb view on the ski and snowboard trails. The small log lodge, at the base of mountain number 4, welcomes visitors with its small coffee shop offering hearty soups, delicious crepes, waffles and a variety of coffees. The coffee shop at the base of mountain No. 2 has a similar menu. At weekends, the 4 Foyers Bar offers a variety of salads, sandwiches and pizzas that you can eat by the fireplace, while enjoying the view on the mountain. And for those who want to get back on trails as fast as possible, the spacious cafeteria offers a large variety of meals again with a great view on the trails. In Québec City, only 20 minutes from Stoneham, there are many more restaurants and bars for everyone.
Apres
Stoneham has a reputation for its warm atmosphere and famous "joie de vivre". Après-ski options range from the 4 Foyers Bar to the new Artic Zone Spa. You'll find a variety of entertainment ranging from hardcore DJ's to the soothing tones of a Quebec chansonnier and even 80's theme nights.
Boarding
Stoneham has made a name for itself as a cool boarders destination with four terrain parks, named after the impressive local talent that has excelled on a national and international scale. It is arguably the best snow park in Eastern Canada and is one of the few snowparks in Quebec to be maintained by a professional twice daily and is also open for night skiing. The Park incorporates a one and a half kilometre (one mile) long slope style course, Olympic sized superpipe with 17 foot (five metre) walls, wall-ride, rails, pyramids, rolls, boxes, tabletops and, junior park. There's also a 40-foot school bus slide and a variety of ramps. for the 2005-6 season a new 3625 square metre zone was added to the 418 Snowpark's Slope Style section. This section is called the 3D Zone.
