2006: The meteoric rise in the FBT share price finally begins

Bad news for the FBT staff. We can expect another 'sales' trip to Canada after there has been more snow. Watching the weather reports in Canada. The strange things that FBT shareholders have to do.



Canadian ski season off to slow start

TORONTO (AFX) - Ski resorts in Ontario and western Quebec are hoping their
fortunes will improve come New Year's Eve after the Christmas holiday --
typically their busiest time of year -- proved to be a bit of a bust.
Blue Mountain, Ontario's largest ski and snowboard destination, took a 40
percent hit in bookings over the Christmas break and was forced to refocus its
attention on other activities.
Rather than schut down the slopes -- which remained closed as a result of
unseasonably warm temperatures -- visitors had the opportunity to take part in
activities like caving and nature walks that wouldn't otherwise be open this
time of year, said Blue Mountain spokeswoman Kelly O'Neil.
"Because we are a four-season resort, we were able to depend on some of our
other activities that we offer," O'Neil said. "Things are picking up ahead."
Tickets for the Collingwood-area resort's popular New Year's Eve bash are
just about sold out, and with man-made snow now covering about 94 percent of the
hill, Blue Mountain was slated to reopen Thursday with two runs.
"The plan is to be blowing snow into the weekend, and trying to get things
opened up and terrain opened up gradually," O'Neil said.
Ski conditions in the Barrie area have fared a little better since the
resorts opened in early December, but operators say they still took a hit over
Christmas.
Martin Kimble, vice president of operations at Horseshoe Resort, said visits
were down by about half over the holidays, but he blamed public perception more
than anything else.
"The warm weather and the perception of no skiing or snowboarding is
certainly there, and that's having a big effect," he said. He said eight runs
and five lifts at his resort were open Wednesday.
Kalen McCullough, spokesman for the Edelweiss ski resort, said while
Christmas business was down, many Outaouais-area resorts cater to the day skier
and don't have to worry about hotel cancellations.
McCullough said the snow machines are working 24 hours a day and the resort
hopes to open a fourth run as well as two tubing runs by the weekend.
To the province's ski industry, which employs about 30,000 people, the
holidays are crucial: More than 20 per cent of skier visits are made between
Christmas and Jan. 8, industry officials say.