Andrew Rusynyk, the new general manager at Batawa Ski Hill: “It has been very important for us to maintain the feel of community here.” Photo by Alisa Howlett
By Alisa Howlett
BATAWA – From a rope tow driven by a truck, to a T-bar, and now fully operating chairlifts, Batawa Ski Hill has come a long way, new general manager Andrew Rusynyk says.
The Batawa Development Corporation purchased the ski hill six years ago, and with that a lot of changes followed. Over the past year the ski hill gained a new management team, including Rusynyk only two months ago. But new management is not all the hill gained.
Since the ownership was changed from a volunteer organization to a corporation, Batawa has been able to provide new and improved services, Rusynyk said.
This year snow is being made earlier than ever with the help of a new snow-making system and snow-grooming equipment. High-efficiency LED lights are being installed on hills that were not previously lit, allowing night skiing.
Rusynyk said the new team is coming together and making it happen.
“The biggest thing for us is the new team we have in place here,” he said. “We have been able to prepare the hill despite the renovations going on. The hill is in the best ready condition it has ever been.”
Founded by the Bata Shoe Organization in 1966, for most of its existence the hill has primarily been operated by volunteers. Over the years, the surrounding community has been very supportive, said Rusynyk.
“It has been very important for us to maintain the feel of community here, to make sure that people feel they are apart of the ski hill. They are a guest. They are an essential part of it.”
The rental shop and guest-services building are also undergoing renovations. The improvements are designed to make the hill operate more efficiently.
But with all the recent changes, Rusynyk wants the atmosphere of Batawa to stay the same.
“In absolutely no way do we want to become sort of a corporate feel that you’ll see at some of the other ski hills, the bigger hills where people become numbers going through a turnstile. That will never happen here. That is not the direction we want to go,” he said. “We want to maintain the social side of the ski hill. We want to maintain that feel and that comfort there. It is critical for us.”
Many volunteer-operated ski hills don’t last for financial reasons. It’s great to have the support of the Batawa Development Corporation to keep this going, Rusynyk said.
Although the new corporation has taken over, Batawa still runs on the work of many volunteers.
“We still survive on (volunteer) help, their participation and their support. The volunteers are a massive part of the history in place, but are also still a part of the existence right now,” he said.
Even with all of the recent changes, Batawa’s objectives remain the same: fun, safety, and accessibility for everyone, Rusynyk said.
The new management hopes to have the hill open for Dec. 14.
For more information: http://batawaskihill.com/
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