Elliot Lake City Council has approved funding for either the lease or purchase of a new snow groomer for Mt. Dufour Ski Hill.
A new machine is needed to replace the old one which the city bought around the turn of the century.
According to Mt. Dufour Operations Manager David Brunet, the old machine is now worth about $ 35,000 and requires an ongoing stream of tens of thousands of dollars for repairs to be used. What's not decided yet is whether the city should buy a new groomer outright, or lease one.
A new groomer can be purchased for under $400,000 and Ontario provincial grant money should be available to help defray the cost. An alternative would be to lease a new machine at a cost of $80,000 a year over five years. City staff will meet with Mr. Brunet and other Mt. Dufour staff members this week to iron out details of the purchase or lease.
The Mt. Dufour people are concerned about losing more prime ski time this season since their slopes can't be groomed properly without a groomer.