Officials at the two resorts began talks this past September, but were motivated to offer something for consumers to take advantage of this winter, which explains the somewhat late product launch.

Yves Juneau, CEO of the Quebec Ski Areas Association, is happy to see two traditional competitors work together to grow the market. He sees Option Northeast as an amazing value for skiers and riders.

There were 270,000 people in Quebec who owned a season pass last year, and principals from each family-run company expect that their joint offer will appeal to these devotees. “We see great potential here to appeal to those skiers and inspire them to take to the slopes more often,” said Charles Désourdy, president of Bromont.

“There really is an industry trend toward these kinds of alliances. Our new Option Northeast shows there is a desire among ski resorts to find innovative solutions so that skiers get more for their money. We believe our respective ski centers complement each other well, plus they are located an equal distance from the greater Montreal area. Option Northeast will undoubtedly stimulate the local and regional economy,” said Louis Philippe Hébert, president and CEO of Mont Saint-Sauveur.

Saint-Sauveur’s Option Northeast customers also have access to other Groupe Mont Saint-Sauveur resorts, including Mont Avila, Ski Morin Heights, Mont Olympia, Ski Mont Gabriel and Edelweiss.