Barring an unexpected heatwave, Optimist Hill at Diefenbaker Park is scheduled to open in the next few weeks.
The leadership team behind Saskatoon’s first ski and snowboard park said it plans to open the hill on or around Dec. 14th, if the weather cooperates. Until it opens, crews will be hard at work preparing it for excited visitors.
Over the holiday season, Optimist Hill is expecting to be open every day between Dec. 21 and Jan. 5 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The hill will close early at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24, and be closed Dec. 25 for Christmas.
Last winter, Optimist Hill completed Phase One of the project, opening the 70-foot hill with groomed downhill lanes for snow-tubing, skiing and snowboarding. There was also a terrain park and a carpet conveyer system for people to commute back up to the top of the hill.
Organizers said the toboggan area will be available this year once a deep enough snow-pack accumulates. Tobogganers will be granted free access to the hill; however, they won’t be allowed to use the conveyer system to get back to the top.
