As Simcoe County residents and tourists woke up to a chill in the air Saturday, one local ski resort is taking advantage of the cooler weather. Mount St. Louis Moonstone in Coldwater has already started making snow. Sarah Huter, director of marketing and promotions for Mount St. Louis Moonstone, tells CTV News the resort has fired up its snow-making system to test critical components like pressure, water and pipes. Huter calls it a “pre-season fire-up” to ensure everything is working properly ahead of the 2026-27 season. With the temperature at -2 C at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, it was a good time to start things off. Huter says the resort’s snow guns can make snow with temperatures as warm as 0 C, but those ideal temperatures where it’s consistently between -4 and -6 C is prime snow-making weather. The snow-making system is part of a $2.4 million investment, which Huter says includes automating an entire trail and a great deal of pipe running underground. “There’s always snow-making maintenance and improvement,” Huter says. Also running this weekend is the resort’s ski swap where outdoor enthusiasts can get in on last year’s stock that’s leftover from suppliers. The swap will also benefit the Canadian Ski Patrol, a non-profit group that offers rescue services across the country. During the swap, one of the resort’s chairlifts is running so attendees can take a ride up the mountain and enjoy the fall colours. The swap runs until 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The resort has not yet announced an opening date.
