SNOW ALERT Last update: April 7, 2023
We are pleased to announce that all approvals for the reopening of the Gondola have been received. The Shooting Star will be officially back tomorrow morning and available for the last miles of the season.
AN EXEMPLARY COLLABORATION OF ALL
-
We would like to warmly thank all the teams involved for their collaboration and their excellent work on this project. We would also like to acknowledge the great understanding, patience and trust of our subscribers and daily guests, who have shown their support to our teams during the winter season 22.23.
"The safety certificates of the mandated experts and the proof of re-training of the operating teams have been approved by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. We are pleased to be able to close the file today in all transparency. Over the past few weeks, we have been working closely with the experts to conduct an exhaustive analysis of the lift as well as all our operating practices and procedures, with the goal of ensuring a safe return of the Gondola. At the same time, we have also implemented additional control procedures with the participation of all our operating teams in order to exceed regulatory requirements. We are confident that these combined efforts will allow us to strengthen our operating standards."
- Maxime Cretin, Vice President and General Manager, Eastern Region
Last update: March 30, 2023
All certifications required by the December 16, 2022 order have been submitted by the project engineers, with the collaboration of Doppelmayr Canada's teams. A request to lift the ban on the operation of the Gondola is currently being processed.
Continuous training and improved practices
Evidence that the work crews have undergone a complete re-training of the Gondola's operating procedures has been submitted as required. During these re-trainings, all applicable procedures and standards were reviewed with all of our operating teams.
"As part of the team re-training, we took advantage of the expertise of the mandated specialists and the field experience of our teams to not only revise the operating procedures already in place and meeting all the standards in effect in the industry, but also to conduct an in-depth analysis of our practices in order to improve our internal procedures and go beyond the requirements. In concrete terms, we have implemented a new double verification policy. Thus, depending on the importance of the information detected by the controls of the lift during a safety shutdown, a double verification of the return to service steps could be required. This double check has been integrated into the operating practices of all our lifts at Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Resort," said Maxime Cretin, General Manager and Vice-President, Eastern Region.
Ongoing training modules and external audits are already planned for the next 12 months to ensure the sustainability of the training process and a proactive occupational health and safety culture.
Last update: March 23, 2023
Safety Certification of the Gondola
All the tests and verifications on the gondola's systems and components, which began last week, are now complete. The engineers in charge of the file have completed the inspection and work phase.
The final report detailing the safety certification process carried out on the lift is currently being written and will be submitted to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) very soon. The steps are following their course and we will inform you of the progress as soon as possible.
We would like to underline the meticulousness and rigor of all the teams involved in the work and inspections on the Shooting Star.
Training of the operating teams
Simultaneously with the lift inspections, all our operating teams followed the required training sessions, in addition to participating in the complete revision of the operating and maintenance procedures specific to this lift. All of this was done under the supervision of the project engineers and representatives of the lift manufacturer.
Return to operation - No date yet
Although we are in the final miles of the steps required for the return of the Gondola, it is currently impossible for us to confirm a target date for the return to operation. We will give the engineers in charge of the project, the manufacturer's teams and the RBQ representatives all the time they need to fully analyze the file. Our desire is above all to ensure the safe return of the Shooting Star. We will communicate with you as soon as possible for the continuation of the file.
Last update: March 13, 2023
Following the reinstallation of the pulley train, the Gondola is now ready for the next steps in the work plan, while the experts mandated to the file will proceed with the tests and verifications necessary for the safety certification.
Under the supervision of the engineers in charge of the project, the lift will be in operation punctually during the week as part of the work.
A complete analysis of the lift's operating systems will be performed, following which a safety certification will be issued by the independent engineers. The file will then be submitted for approval to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec to ensure that all requirements are met.
Our teams will also follow a complete re-training of the lift's operating procedures, as required by the December 16th order.
We will continue to keep you informed of the progress of the work.
Last update: March 7, 2023
The pulley train is now back at the mountain. The part, which was damaged during the December 10 incident, was at the manufacturer's for a complete rebuild. The installation of the pulley train is underway, according to the work plan established by the engineers in charge of the project.
Once the installation is complete, testing and verification of the Gondola's operating and safety systems can begin. We would like to point out that, although the steps required to certify the safety of the lift are defined and planned according to an established work plan, the schedule is still subject to change depending on the progress of the work and the availability of the mandated teams. Rest assured that every effort is being made to complete this project as quickly as possible. We will keep you informed of the progress of the work on a regular basis.
Last update: February 23, 2023
The complete reconstruction of the pulley train that was damaged in the December 10 incident is proceeding under the supervision of the manufacturer. As previously explained, this part is required to perform the tests and verification tests stipulated in the December 16 order. These steps, aimed at certifying the safe operation of the lift and its components, are currently pending and can be performed following the delivery of the pulley train.
All subcontractors, professionals, experts and engineers are working hard to reopen the gondola as soon as possible. The work plan of all the teams is continuously updated according to the progress of the work. According to the latest information available to us, the different scenarios envisioned by the engineers in charge of the project foresee the work being completed after the school break period. Please note that once the tasks of the mandated teams are completed, the final reports and required certifications will be submitted to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec for approval.
We will continue to keep you informed of the progress of the work as soon as we have more details.
Last update: February 9, 2023
The pulley train damaged during the December incident is still with the manufacturer's teams. They now have all the necessary parts to proceed with the complete reconstruction of the train. We are waiting for more information on the targeted delivery date of the rebuilt train to the mountain.
Once the pulley train has been received by our teams, we will proceed with its reinstallation on the lift line. The necessary steps to obtain the safety certificate can then be carried out.
In order to better inform you about the work in progress, we will make weekly updates via this page.
February 3rd, 2023
Since the return of operations on January 8, analysis work has continued on the Gondola to determine what repairs need to be made following the events of December 10, 2022. On January 10, the pulley train affected by the incident was dismantled and sent to the manufacturer for a complete analysis. In the absence of this pulley train, the tests and verification required for the recertification of the lift's safety, as requested by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), are currently pending.
Pulley Train Under Repair
The manufacturer's teams have determined that the pulley train must be rebuilt: this refurbishment is currently underway. As soon as the refurbishment is completed and the train is returned to the mountain for installation, we will be able to resume the work plan for the recertification of the lift.
Lift Recertification
Once the installation of the pulley train is complete, the independent experts assigned to the case will proceed with the necessary steps to obtain the lift safety certification. Once all the procedures have been completed, the RBQ will conduct a complete analysis of the file and the reports submitted by the external engineers in order to validate that everything complies with the requested requirements. Please note that as in any approval process, the submission of the reports does not mean immediate approval. Clarifications or other verification may be required before the prohibition to operate the Gondola is lifted.
Return to operation and updates
As the duration of each step is variable and depends on the completion of the previous one, we cannot currently advance a target return to operation date for the Gondola. It should also be noted that we will have to re-train the lift's operating teams before reopening to clientele. We will continue to offer the full cooperation of our teams to the project managers and expert teams who are working to get the Gondola back into operation. It is our wish to have L'Étoile Filante back in operation this season, but especially to ensure a safe return of the lift.
In order to better inform you about the work in progress, we will make weekly updates via this page.
Français 
