Snow park moving ahead of schedule

With work at Little Beaver Snow Park ahead of schedule, all owner Bob Hamilton needs now is more of the white stuff on the ground.
Ironically, the late arrival of winter actually helped with construction at the site, which is located at the “ski hill” near the town landfill.
“It’s been going very well–better than I had planned,” Hamilton said. “We started construction late in the season but I’m happy to see we’ve got as much done as we have.
“The great weather really helped,” he added.
Only now, he wants Ol’ Man Winter to arrive with a vengeance so he can open the park on a limited basis next month to learn the ropes before it opens fully next winter.
Hamilton noted there’s one good thing about the lack of snow so far. “If we had oodles of snow, then I’d be in a panic to get going,” he laughed.
The Fort Frances man finalized the deal to purchase the property back in June. Since autumn, construction on a chalet has begun, and two tow-lifts have been installed.
Pending safety certification, the lifts will be in operating condition by mid-January.
“What makes the whole thing is that people don’t have walk all the way up that hill once they go down it,” Hamilton noted. “And believe me, after walking up and down it many times so far, you get tired.”
The hill just isn’t big enough to justify getting a full chair lift, he remarked.
Still, Hamilton said the snow park should satisfy those who love the slopes–and maybe generate or renew interest in winter recreation in others. Besides skiers and snowboarders, he expects it to attract a lot of “tubers.”
“Tubing is the fastest-growing sport in North America,” he noted. “We’ll most likely have a lift for skiers and snowboarders, and one reserved for tubers.”
What won’t be ready this winter is the chalet, which will feature a scramble area as well as a snack bar.
“It’s really just to give the kids a place to hang out,” Hamilton remarked.