SAM Magazine— Beaupré, Quebec, Dec. 19, 2022—The Quebec Building Authority (RBQ) found that Mont-Sainte-Anne (MSA) did not follow proper operating procedures during morning start-up of its gondola on Dec. 10, resulting in an unoccupied cabin detaching from the haul rope and falling to the ground, according to a Dec. 16 report. The resort has been closed since, and the RBQ is not allowing it to operate the gondola and four other chairlifts until they’ve been fully inspected and signed off on by an engineer, among other actions. The incident was the latest of several lift incidents in recent years at Mont-Sainte-Anne.

In a press release, the RBQ said operators were alerted of a malfunction in the attachment of the cabin during morning startup. The operating manual for the gondola says, in part, when this particular fault comes up to run the lift slowly in reverse and then run it forward through the tower switch again. If the same fault appears, remove the cabin from the line immediately.

However, after the fault was detected, “the mechanic dispatched to the scene carried out a simple visual inspection and authorized the restart of the lift,” the report said. The cabin tripped the same faults over the next two towers before it fell to the ground. No one was hurt in the incident. Employees were on the line and had to be evacuated. 

For the gondola, the RBQ is requiring MSA “to obtain an expert’s report aimed at explaining the malfunction of the equipment and to apply the recommendations of this report, in addition to obtaining a security certificate signed by an engineer,” the order said.

For the three other detachable chairlifts, “the RBQ orders, among other things, to carry out the verification of the moving parts on all the grips and to obtain a safety certificate signed by an engineer.” Mont-Sainte-Anne must also submit a training plan to ensure that personnel know, understand, and properly apply operating procedures.

In response, MSA said, “We make every effort to implement the requested requirements and honor the trust of our customers. A review of procedures and training was already scheduled this weekend and additional inspections were also planned for the resumption of operations. Awaiting the final findings of the investigations, we are working on a safe plan to revive activities.”

While the affected lifts aren’t the only lifts at MSA, the others that access upper mountain terrain aren’t easily accessible without the affected lifts operating. No timetable has been set for reopening. 

Liftblog.com has reported additional details and background on MSA’s lift challenges.