Abandoned Manitoba 2: The Lost Ski Hill

The Abandoned Manitoba 2 video series by Graham Street, Shaun Cameron, and Gordon Goldsborough visits ghost towns, vacant buildings, and other historic sites from Manitoba's past. Join us as we explore back roads to places that tell great stories about how things used to be, and how we have ended up where we are today.
In this video, we search for a hill in the Pembina River valley near La Riviere where, starting in 1935, Winnipeggers took a train to enjoy a day of downhill skiing. We struggle through deep snow to find the old ski slopes.

[@georgepudsey516]

As an avid skier who learned 65 years ago at small hills, I have a soft spot for forgotten hills and the little ski areas where so many people got their love of the sport. Thanks for this!

[@timolheiser7874]

I drove in from Saskatchewan and skied Asessippi Ski Area at Inglis, Manitoba between Russell and Roblin many times.

[@garnieross9958]

So much history at LaRiviere/Holiday Mountain.So nice to see Holiday making a comeback. Well done.

[@robeby5280]

My Grandfather made this trip many times. I still have two pair of his old skis.

[@curriecountryliving]

What a wonderful video on the old hills. I had just posted a video on the last 2 years under new management yesterday and to my delight see this today!! My Dad was hired in the mid 50's to take skiers from the Barcley House ( hotel) at La Riviere with his team of horses to the slopes. I worked for the Later family from 1978-1992 at the new location that relocated in the 59/60 Ski season. Several of my children worked there in the early 2000....3 generations for the same family. Great Memories!! On a final note I remember one of the hills was called Baldy as it was wide slope with no trees at all on to

[@user-nn3ii1ct7k]

I agree well done

[@nicolerichards5769]

Mount Agassiz on Riding Mtn is a good ski hill to talk about too

[@BoboMcBooboy]

Much love from here in Winnipeg!

[@joanneheppner7701]

This was awesome to watch! My dad used to get on the train in Morden, to go skiing. He did break his leg on one excursion - they put on a splint & he had to wait on the train til it went back! My dad and I were part of the Cdn Ski Patrol System at Holiday Mtn in the 1970s - lots of fun!

[@eh42]

Very cool! I thought you were going to talk about the hill by McCreary. When you mentioned La Riviere, I figured you were trolling as there is a very active hill there. This story cut back and forth like a great fresh powder run! Thank you.

[@irenemarks3724]

“The hill by McCreary” - Mt Agassiz. Spent many happy days there in ‘60’s + ‘70’s!

[@TheSobeysworker]

This host is fantastic. Loving the content. Very under the radar and severely underrated. Keep up the great work!

[@andyeunson270]

I grew up in Winnipeg but mostly skied cross country. My friends that alpine skied said the best place to alpine ski in Manitoba was Banff.

[@karloswald407]

lmao, took me a second

[@zackpeter5202]

This was a great video! Please do the other lost ski hills l.

[@johnlennon8653]

Used to beat ski hill outside of Brandon called Glenorky , where I learned to ski. Minnidosa had a pretty good hill and then there was Mt. Agassi near McReary. I’ve skied at Larevier a few times back in the 70-80s. Sorry about my misspelling of the hills.

[@jamesplischke492]

Thank you, this was informative

[@37BopCity]

Great video! An important piece of Canadian skiing history that deserves to be remembered.

[@Pablo_Del_Norte]

That was a lot of work. Thanks.

[@dschmid8845]

If this were Europe, they would construct a new resort town, install a chair lift and build an electrified rail line with daily rail service to/from the city (easy to do). How much we could do if we could only bring back the trains and service the rural areas, just like in Europe and Japan to break the distances and make it easier for people to get around and build up the local economy, while helping people get back into sports year round and/or access natural areas of our province.

[@j.ramsey8863]

I went here a couple times when I was younger.

[@TerryRebel]

My experience with this area is much more recent but I have hiked lots in that area including where the old hill was. I love it there, it’s a really beautiful part of our province and I find it’s history fascinating. Thank you for this video❤

[@maryannpenner9286]

I learned to ski first at Holiday Mtn, by brother skied at Mt Glenorky just west of Brandon in Grand Valley and also at Mt Agassiz at RMNP, two more lost ski hills sadly!

[@lcast10]

Great video, I had a short time in Winnipeg, I taught my kids how to ski at Stony mountain and Spring Hill. Loved every minute of it. Only played golf at Holiday Mountain.

[@afw3177]

Bravo!

[@jimharrison1956]

A long time ago as a Boy Scout, we used to camp at LaRiviere right near the ski slope.

[@illmakeyouuncomfortable7745]

Good to see you making videos again. Can you do one about Minnedosa power station #2?

[@kirkschlichting3974]

Wow amazing poem, what a way to cap of the end of a truly great story. Thank you for the educational videos, I look forward to watching more.

[@gregpenner4572]

Great video! I think skiing is an amazing sport. I learned to ski at Holiday Mountain in the 70's and still ski today, annual trips to Whistler. If it wasn't for Holiday Mountain, Mount Agassiz, Winnipeg Ski Club on the Red River in Riverview and Spring Hill I wouldn't have been able to pursue my passion. It ain't what you ski, it's how you ski it.

[@gcprost]

Wow! What a great video about a piece of history that I was totally unaware of. Thanks.

[@user-fi2rw9kv9u]

Very interesting video. Manitoba has a some nice skiing at Russels (Ski Asessippi) and Minnedosa (Ski Valley). I hope these ski hills will remain operational for the leisure of Manitobains.

[@IAmTheDawn]

Gord, I'm a former student - these videos are fantastic. I really enjoy them, thank you for the information. I am excited to see your next video where you take it to the streets again!

[@finneganfly]

I skiid a lot at Mt. Agassiz 40-50 years ago.

[@markanthony3275]

How about another ski hill that disappeared sometime in the 1980's Snow Valley near Carman . It was a beautiful little place to ski .

[@johnlennon8653]

I remember it.

[@adaptiverider65]

Our father used to take us kids to Snow Valley. It is where I learnt to ski. I used to stand between my dads legs and wrap my arms around his legs as he would hold onto the tow rope, as we got pulled up the slope. What amazing times we had and life long memories!

[@tomgrantham9992]

KOOL. Thanks for sharing. I often thought that Manitoba might have a ski hill. ⛷️⛷️⛷️⛷️⛷️⛷️⛷️👍

[@heliaandrade146]

I loved this… who would have thought… thx for sharing.😊

[@user-hj6om4ze7s]

Nice to get to know more about my home province!

[@daveoconnor9878]

I am 69 years old and skied at Lariviere in my 20s

[@dericksmith2137]

56 and skied la rivière from high school to early 20’s.

[@GBlackeagle]

With advances in Nordic skiing equipment and training it would be excellent for this sport. The question is always about accessibility to the land for a proper trail system.

[@DiscoverwithBeckie]

Thank you this is an amazing video! ❤❤

[@TheMarky26]

Very cool..I love the history of my prairies..

[@hillbillydeluxe27]

And being in Manitoba, it is indeed a “hill”. Good for kids.

[@robswystun2766]

Cool.

[@SchneiderClassics]

love to learn about this stuff,

[@davidshamrockmusicexperience]

very interesting!

[@kathrynstemler6331]

Wonderful! My friend and I were just talking about this. We work at a restaurant that overlooks the tracks by Omand’s Creek - whenever we spot a train we go watch. She mentioned she had just learned of this and we talked about how we wished we could take the train to go skiing! And how cool was it that you catch the train at Portage ave and Academy. Was it the Omand’s Creek line or the one that used to have the Prairie Dog Central that crossed next to the St James bridge? Also great job on the pronunciation. My dad is from the area and I was confused when I first learned to read and saw the name of the town - ‘Dad, why does it say La Rivière? It thought it was called Lare-i-veer.’

[@crusherbmx]

I entered a Mountain Bike race on Holiday Mountain in 1996, it was surprisingly brutal.

[@irenemarks3724]

What about Mt Agassiz, in Riding Mtn Nat Park? Entrance through East Gate near McCreary. Please do a similar short about 5hat. It was an actual mountain and lots of fun!

[@nickprejet5403]

At first I thought this was going to be about the abandoned Leary Ski Hill near Carman.

[@freddyfriesen]

My neighbour and I would drive out to LaRiviere in the 60's. There was a chalet, lift, rentals, and food. I am not making this up.

[@dougcarlson7278]

This was a joy to watch!

[@billfarley9167]

There's a ski hill with a lift at beautiful Minnedosa, Manitoba.

[@quantumx9924]

40 seconds in and YES PLEASE! Liked and subbed!

[@professordogwood8985]

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing this. By contemporary standards, would this site make for a good ski resort? I'm in British Columbia and I would love Whistler to get rail service so motorists don't need to brave the Sea-to-Sky Highway. There's actually tracks nearby Whistler and as far as a holiday goes, driving can be an aggravating chore. Could you foresee a ski resort at this location in the future with hotels and a rail service?

[@romes19]

Great video. Not sure if your pronunciation of La Rivière is correct however

[@robnichol9049]

His pronunciation is correct, speaking as a former resident. It certainly has lost any semblance of its french origins and is now 'layer veer'.

[@danmacintosh4094]

According to the poem there was a tow rope to take people up the hill

[@rayhollanti5225]

You can see a straight run in one aerial view where the tow rope may have been

[@thewaltbrownellchannel9318]

When did the ski slope close??

[@bradmummery7299]

The train wouldn't "reverse" there was a "wye" at La Riviere so they would have at least turned the engine/tender on the wye and probably "ran around" the train on the side track.

[@Tiggah2014]

Part 2: Surfing in Saskatchewan.

[@withershin]

Manitoba - not "One of the Lost Ski Hills" but "The Lost Ski Hill". You can see the lost ski hill for a good hour before you have to stop to get gas to get to it. Manitoba.

[@dziprick3204]

In Manitoba we don't ski hills, we ski holes. Most are valleys down to rivers.

[@professordogwood8985]

Well at least you ski on snow. BC missed out on a lot of that last winter.

[@dziprick3204]

@@professordogwood8985 I live at Red Mountain now. Yes, shitty snow this year...

[@kandacemaendel8826]

I live 20 minutes from La Riviere. This ski hill, called Holiday Mountain, is very much alive and thriving. I'm not sure why this is depicted as being dead and lost.

[@adaptiverider65]

did you watch the full video?

[@greathodgy22]

You did not watch the video.

[@kandacemaendel8826]

​@@adaptiverider65You're right. I hadn't initially watched the entire video at first.

[@thewaltbrownellchannel9318]

Thats VERY strange!!

[@freddyfriesen]

The script is very convoluted and misleading , I guess for some sort of drama.

[@Dav3]

I truly feel like the powers that be actively suppress content like this. Manitoba is a wildly corrupt province, likely beyond even Quebec. Manitoba along with Canada as a whole is truly foreign owned and controlled. Videos like this are a glimpse into the past and what could have been. If only

[@XD-te6vj]

I'm pretty sure it's not pronounced laraveer. Le Riviere. Say it will me: Le Riv ee air. (as an English person). Le Riv ee ay (as a French Person) some "historian".

[@erikzered7945]

Actual spelling or pronunciation has never stopped locals from making their own pronunciation, which is what he is using.

[@robfurlong1437]

He's pronouncing how people locally here in Southern Manitoba pronounce it. A lot of the "French" place names are heavily influenced by the Michif language, which takes a lot of influence from Cree, and can distort how things are pronounced when compared to traditional French.

[@lorne5254]

you need to discover how to pronounce the name of the town . nobody does what you do it .