Ski hills get major lift from heavy snowfall after storm sweeps Eastern Canada [Video]

Forget chocolate. This week, Mother Nature gave skiers and snowboarders a Valentine’s gift they can enjoy all weekend long.

The monster snowfall that blanketed much of Central and Eastern Canada this week, halting traffic and prompting snow days for many, is giving ski hills a lift.

“It’s been a redemptive season for Mother Nature when it comes to ski hills in Ontario, for sure,” said Tara Lovell, public relations manager at Blue Mountain Resort.

Large snowfalls usually result in an influx of people visiting the hills, she said.

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport had seen about 26 centimetres of snowfall by Thursday morning after a major winter storm swept across Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. Flights at major airports were delayed or cancelled, and transit agencies reduced service as homeowners shovelled snow from their driveways and front steps.

Yves Juneau, CEO of the Association des stations de ski du Québec …