SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Quebec, Dec. 15, 2025—Quebec regulators have ordered the closure of four aerial lifts at Mont-Sainte-Anne (MSA), postponing the resort’s planned opening and marking the latest regulatory action in a series of infrastructure and safety concerns at the ski area.

In a Dec. 12 statement, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) said inspections conducted Dec. 10 identified a failure in an underground section of the 25,000-volt high-voltage electrical network that powers the resort’s lifts, buildings, and snowmaking system. The RBQ said the damage prevents the “normal and safe operation” of the affected equipment and poses a danger to public safety.

The order applies to four detachable aerial lifts: Express du Nord, Express du Sud, L’Étoile Filante (the gondola), and Panorama Express. The Beaupré-area resort near Quebec City had been scheduled to open Saturday.

Mont-Sainte-Anne said it will comply fully with the order and cooperate with regulators. In an update issued Friday evening, the resort said it was informed at 6:09 p.m. that additional verifications were required before the four lifts could reopen, despite completion of repairs and testing related to the electrical outage. Before lifts can open, RBQ said service and emergency brake systems must be tested, communications systems need to be demonstrated as properly functioning, and there needs to be a written evacuation plan in the event of a power failure.

The resort said repairs to the 25 kV line—including replacement of a 300-foot underground cable section and subsequent testing—were completed on schedule, and that lifts, buildings, and ski terrain were prepared for opening prior to the RBQ decision. 

According to the RBQ, the seriousness of deficiencies observed in recent years created an emergency situation requiring immediate intervention. The agency said it notified Mont-Sainte-Anne and the ski area’s operator Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) on Dec. 5 that the lifts were not to be operated. 

“Ski resort operators are primarily responsible for the safety of their customers,” Stéphane Petit, RBQ vice president of inspection, said in the release. “Our priority remains public safety. The resumption of activities will depend on the pace at which Mont-Sainte-Anne complies with the requirements set out in the order.”

The closure follows a series of high-profile lift incidents and regulatory actions at Mont-Sainte-Anne in recent years. In December 2022, the RBQ ordered the resort closed after an unoccupied gondola cabin detached from the line during morning startup and fell to the ground. That incident followed a February 2020 gondola malfunction that injured multiple passengers.

The latest shutdown comes amid broader questions about the resort’s long-term outlook. Mont-Sainte-Anne operates on public land under a long-term lease, and the Quebec government announced in late 2024 a proposed CA$50 million investment package—half as a grant and half as a loan—contingent on RCR matching the investment over five years. As of December 2025, the agreement has not been finalized.

No timetable has been announced for reopening the affected lifts.

While lift-served skiing remains unavailable, the resort said snowmaking is continuing on the north and south sides of the mountain. Over the weekend, MSA offered limited operations, including beginner terrain served by a conveyor, food and retail services, and uphill alpine touring access on designated routes. Season pass holders and guests also have access to nearby Stoneham, another RCR-operated resort, and to the Mont-Sainte-Anne Nordic center.