Snowmobiling is big business in province each winter

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By Nick Moore
Times & Transcript Staff

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FREDERICTON - The summer's sun means big business for New Brunswick's tourism industry. So does the winter's snow.

Regardless of whether the snowflakes start piling up in the next week, the province's Department of Tourism and Parks will kick off the winter tourism season in early November. It will run until March which makes New Brunswick one of the few places in Canada where tourism never takes an off-season.

The 'White Gold' tourism campaign started in New Brunswick during the 1990s, promoting the province as a winter wonderland to potential visitors.

"The department has had a winter campaign, in many different forms, for many years now," says Kim Matthews, with the Department of Tourism and Parks. "New Brunswick benefits from consistent snowfall through the winter months, which gives us a competitive advantage over our neighbouring provinces, as an outdoor destination with many winter activities."

Matthews says New Brunswick's winter tourism industry brings in nearly $142 million a season. She says the province's total tourism revenues total about $1 billion annually.

Matthews also says winter visitation numbers in the province total more than 750,000 during a typical season (including people from New Brunswick who travel for leisure purposes).

A key reason for the province's winter tourism pull is credited to snowmobiling.

"Snowmobiling is the key component as to why New Brunswick has true four-season tourism," says Ross Antworth, general manager of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs. "It plays a vital role in many economies of the province."

There's about 7,100 kilometres (466,028 miles) of managed snowmobile trails in the province which are maintained and groomed by local snowmobile clubs. The trails are good for snowmobiling for roughly 15 to 20 weeks each year. Still, managing the province's snowmobile industry is a year-round responsibility for Antworth and the Federation.

In Canada, only Ontario and Quebec can claim larger snowmobile tourism markets. But Antworth says New Brunswick still holds its own each winter.

"We have trails here that are as good or better than Quebec," he says.

Antworth also credits the province's integrated snowmobile trail system that has restaurants, accommodations and other services adjacent along the way.

"You can get on your snowmobile in Moncton and travel right to the state of Maine, to the province of Nova Scotia, to the province of Quebec," says Antworth.

Holding that the winter chill isn't for everybody, the province also publicizes its indoor attractions, particularly Crystal Palace in Dieppe.

"What we're trying to tell people is that they don't even have to go outside," says Michelanne Lewis, director of sales and marketing at Crystal Palace.

Lewis mentions that an amusement park, restaurant, pool, movie theater, Chapters bookstore, not to mention overnight accommodations, are all held together in the same facility and under one roof.

"Once you're here you don't ever have to leave," she says. "It's like a mini resort."

The summers are busy at Crystal Palace, just like the winters. And Lewis says that's good because they don't want any downtime.