Centre Vorlage, the ski area near Wakefield, was prohibited from operating its aerial lifts while a review was underway following the death of a 13-year-old Ottawa girl
The Quebec agency tasked with ensuring safety at ski areas ordered Centre Vorlage to shut down all of its aerial lifts after an accident that resulted in the death of a 13-year-old Ottawa girl.
The ski area is gradually reopening its operations this week after being cleared to do so.
In a statement, the agency, Regie du batiment du Quebec (RBQ), said it identified “non-conformities” at the ski area near Wakefield, which led to a notice prohibiting the operation of its aerial lifts while the review was underway. On Feb. 16, RBQ said it received requested documents from Vorlage “confirming that all non-conformities had been corrected”.
The ski area reviewed safety training with all of its lift operators Sunday before it began reopening to the public Tuesday.
The girl was on a school ski trip when her hoodie appeared to become entangled in part of the chairlift mechanism, according to police. First responders were unable to free her and a decision was made to move her to the bottom of the ski hill while still hanging from the cable. She was transported to Wakefield hospital and then to CHEO.
Her parents released a statement Sunday confirming she had died as a result of her injuries. They thanked the community for the “outpouring of love” they had received after the accident and thanked those who had tried to save her.
Because she died in Ontario, the provincial coroner is in charge of investigating her death, with the co-operation of Quebec authorities. Police also continue to investigate.
The investigation is likely to focus on operator training as well as whether safety equipment designed to shut down the chairlift when someone fails to get off was working as expected. The girl was reportedly too high to be easily reached when the chairlift stopped. Investigators will also likely focus on how her clothing apparently became entangled in the chairlift.
Yves Juneau, president of the Association of Quebec Ski Resorts, said that every ski area is required to have a mechanism in place that automatically stops the chairlift if a rider fails to get off where they should, using a bar or sensor.
Juneau said he is awaiting results of an investigation to understand exactly what happened. Police said the girl could not be freed at the top of the hill and was transported to the bottom of the hill before being taken off the chair. When she arrived at the bottom, she was not breathing, according to police.
“What I will tell you is at the off-loading area of the lift there is a safety bar. When someone doesn’t unload, the safety bar is supposed to stop the lift. I want to see the report that confirms that lift was stopped. That is exactly what is supposed to happen.” If the girl ended past the off-loading area, he said, “We need to understand exactly what happened.”
He also said his organization has questions about what role clothing might have played in the accident. People are warned about keeping scarves, long hair, bags and hats secure and tucked in on ski lifts for safety reasons, but not specifically about hoodies.
“We want some answers regarding that kind of clothing, because if it is a problem, we need to make sure that people are safe, and they need to be aware if it’s a problem,” he said. “Right now, we have questions.”
Juneau said ski areas undergo regular and rigorous safety inspections and requirements, including staff training, focused on safety. He added: “If there is an accident, we have to ask ourselves if more can be done.” Without an official report, he said, he would not speculate on whether that is the case.
But he said he has never heard of an accident like the one that led to the death of the Ottawa girl.
“In my 30-year career … someone hanging from a chairlift is something I have never heard of. This is something we never expected could happen.
He passed on condolences to the family. “I want to say how devastated we are by the accident. My heart goes out to the family.” He said his organization is also thinking of the 230 employees of Vorlage “who are going through a difficult time.”
Juneau said the ski area reopened because it was deemed to meet all the safety requirements.
“It is open (Tuesday) because it is safe.”
Christine Logue has been skiing at Vorlage for about 30 years and said she has never heard of an injury more serious than a broken leg.
She has a chalet near the Lookout run and said she could hear the chairlifts constantly being maintained.
“There used to be T-bars here. Those were far more dangerous,” she said.
Logue said she would not be afraid to use the chairlifts or to go skiing again.
When the ski runs were closed and the night skiing lights were turned off on the day of the accident, it was a very eerie feeling and a constant reminder of the tragic loss of a young life, she said, looking back on Tuesday after the girl died on the weekend.
The entire village of Wakefield has been devastated, Logue said. “Everyone knows everyone here. It’s a beautiful place.”
Meanwhile, Harvey Brodkin, owner and program director of Snowhawks Ski and Snowboard School in Ottawa, which runs after-school programs with more than 25 schools in Ottawa, said his program forbids any kind of loose clothing, including hoodies, that could get caught on something. “We watch for that.”
While the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has cancelled ski trips after the accident, Brodkin said Snowhawk trips are continuing, although not to Vorlage.
“Our programs are continuing. We feel we have very strong safety protocols.”
In 2023, a Quebec coroner asked ski organizations in Quebec and federally to review training and safety practices after a six-year-old girl died after her coat got caught in a T-bar. She died of asphyxiation after being dragged.
The January 2023 death occurred at a ski area in Quebec’s Lanaudière region.
On Tuesday, there were flowers and a stuffed animal left near the entrance to the ski area, along with a package of “notes and thoughts” from Grade 4 students at a Wakefield school. There were several school buses in the parking lot and chairlifts appeared to be running, but there were very few skiers on the slopes.
