DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY
Head to Optimist Hill for winter fun
1. OPTIMAL LOCATION
The Optimist Hill project, first presented to city council in 2015, is located in the centre of Saskatoon’s Diefenbaker Park and includes a section for snowboarders, skiers, a terrain park and a section for people interested in taking on one of the Hill’s new snow-tubing lanes.
2. RENTAL READY
People visiting Optimist Hill this season can rent items including snowboards, skis and boots, and safety equipment like helmets. Full-day rentals for snowboards and skis are $16, while half-day rentals cost $10. Helmets are $5 to rent. Joe Van’t Hof, co-chair of the Optimist Hill campaign, said he expects rental availability to grow in the coming seasons.
3. COMMUNITY CREATED
Van’t Hof said “it’s incredible” to see the first phase of the project, which cost roughly $2.9 million, open to the public. “This is something that Saskatoon has been asking for,” he said. “I know that my co-chair, Rob Letts, and myself are gratified, extremely excited and proud to have had the opportunity to bring this amenity to Saskatoon. Of course, we couldn’t do it without an awful lot of help.” He estimates the number of people who contributed to the project is in the hundreds. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set to mark the official opening at 1 p.m.
4. SOME SNOWY RESTRICTIONS
While the first phase is set to open on Sunday, the Hill’s free tobogganing section will be closed for the season as the space is still under construction and is unsafe to use. Also, because the hill is in a city park, Van’t Hof reminds people that smoking is prohibited.
5. HOURS OF OPERATION AT OPTIMIST HILL
The hill will be open from Monday to Friday, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays. For those 16 and older, a weekday lift pass will cost $14, while a full-day weekend pass will cost $20. For youth 15 years old or younger, weekday passes are $10, and full-day weekend passes are $13. Customers can also buy tube passes for the same price.
Children under age five get free passes but must be accompanied by an adult.
More information about Sunday’s opening can be found on the Optimist Hill website at optimisthill.ca.