Toronto's only ski hill has officially opened for the season

Grab your goggles and step onto your skis, because Earl Bales Park's ski hill has officially opened for the 2025 winter season.

After a particularly lacklustre winter season last year, featuring negligible snowfall levels and — in my opinion — pleasantly palatable temperatures, Toronto's very own ski hill is back in action, officially opening for the season on Monday, Jan. 20.

Ever since the Centennial Park ski hill — a decades-running winter tradition in Toronto — was officially scrapped in 2021, Earl Bales has held it down as the last remaining ski hill located within city limits, giving avid skiers a chance to hit the slopes, no road trip required.

The 2023-2024 winter season, however, put even Earl Bales in jeopardy, as unseasonable conditions made it near-impossible for the attraction to operate.

It’s time to hit the slopes! City of Toronto opens Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre today

News Release: https://t.co/RgWLTStAWY pic.twitter.com/THoNIFPOgy

— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) January 20, 2025

Come 2025, though, and the conditions are perfect — although you may have noticed a considerable lack of quite possibly the most important condition required for skiing: snow.

Luckily, the park is home to its own snow-making machine, so as long as temperatures remain steadily at or below -5 degrees celcius, you should have no problem partaking in some wholesome winter hoopla.

Earl Bales Park, which is located around Bathurst and Sheppard, is home to a beginners' hill with a rope tow that'll carry you up to the top of the run, as well as a main hill with two runs that are accessible by chairlift, making it a go-to for seasoned skiers and bunny-hill riders alike.

The season is set to run until March 16, but that date is weather-dependent, so keep an eye on the sky — as well as the hill's website — for updates before lugging your gear all the way there. Thank me later.

The Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre is open from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Ski memberships, lift tickets, and equipment rentals can all be purchased on site.