Environment

To avoid the disturbance of bird nesting, trees for the new '’Algonquin ski trail were cut in the midst of winter. Work done between April and mid-August would have increased the risk of endangering existing nests and young birds. Winter season is also favorable to avoid erosion as most transports are done on snow and do not destabilize the ground.

Without well planned mitigation measures, the construction of ski trails can lead to severe erosion problems which may also affect water quality in the surrounding watersheds. Tremblant is proud to have developed over the years construction methods to reduce impact on the environment to a minimum: excavation from top to bottom in a single step, stabilization team immediately following the construction team, use of helicopters for transport in steep areas, etc.

The Versant Soleil area is enriched with the presence of several oak stands. As a matter of fact, design of the L'Algonquin ski trail was modified in order to preserve one of these stands. It is interesting to note that the presence of pure stands of this species is fairly rare at our latitude.

Surface water in the pedestrian village drains toward the Lac Tremblant marsh located near parking lot P-1 and toward Lac Miroir. To avoid the discharge of salt into these water bodies, gravel is the only abrasive used in the village during winter. The gravel recuperated at the end of each ski season is reused the following year.

The deer corridors observed in the Versant Soleil area were recorded and mapped. They were incorporated in the area concept plan prior to infrastructure and residential construction.

Each year Tremblant uses 1.3 million cubic metres of water to mechanically produce snow, the equivalent of 430 Olympic-size swimming pools. How do we make snow? Where does the water come from? What kind of approval is required?

How snow is made?
To begin with, it is important to understand that snow production is essentially a mechanical process requiring no chemicals. The three ingredients for snow production are cold temperatures, water and compressed air.

In general, we produce snow when the outdoor temperature is -8°C or lower. This requires two different pipes; one carries untreated water drawn from a natural source and the other carries compressed air. These pipes are connected to snow guns set along various ski trails. The compressed air propels fine water droplets in the cold air where they turn into snow.



Where are our water sources?
Our two water sources are Lac Tremblant and the Rivière du Diable. We use an average of 1.3 million cubic metres (m3) of water per winter for snowmaking. This volume corresponds to slightly more than 430 Olympic-size swimming pools (1 pool = 3 000 m3). Roughly, 75% of this volume comes from Lac Tremblant and the other 25% is drawn from the Rivière du Diable. At peak production, our system utilizes 8,000 gallons of water per minute (i.e. 30 m3/minute).

Lac Tremblant has an area of more than 10 km2 and reaches 91 metre deep (300 feet) in some areas! The volume of water of Lac Tremblant is impressive: 231 million m3, the equivalent of 77,000 Olympic-size swimming pools! The amount of water pumped from the lake for snowmaking is far more less that the total quantities brought in by the different tributaries on a day to day basis.

The Rivière du Diable is the main tributary of the Rivière Rouge, itself tributary of the Rivière des Outaouais. From its source in Lac du Diable, located in the Parc National du Mont-Tremblant, the river extends 116 km and has a drainage basin of over 1,185 km2.



Do we need official approvals to collect this water?
Yes. Since May 1993, Tremblant is authorized to collect water from Lac Tremblant at a rate of 6,000 gallons per minute (gpm), the equivalent of approximately 30,000 m3 per day or, if you prefer, 10 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Tremblant also received authorization in September 2001 to collect water from the Rivière du Diable provided that it has sufficient flow. This value is based on what is called the "minimum ecological flow". If the flow of the river is less than this value, we must stop pumping from this source. We are currently collecting up to 2,000 gpm, the equivalent of 10 900 m3 per day or, if you prefer, 3.6 Olympic-size pools. The results are monitored on a daily basis by Ville de Mont-Tremblant and yearly by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MDDELCC).

Lakes
In 2010, we planted hundreds of trees and shrubs around Lac Lumière and around the body of water at Hole No. 2 on Le Géant golf course. The purpose of this work was two-fold: to enrich the site’s biodiversity and to enhance the visual appearance of the banks previously occupied by grass.



VIP parking
In 2012, 60 trees and 380 shrubs were planted in the newly paved VIP parking area. The parking now drains toward "green" ditches connected to water gardens. Planting vegetation in ditches helps absorb rain water and therefore protects the marsh located along the parking area.

Property of Station Mont Tremblant, forest lands located on both sides of Rivière du Diable, between Le Géant and Le Diable golf courses, were officially recognized as a private nature reserve in March 2014. The nature reserve of the Rivière-du-Diable protects 74 hectares of land in perpetuity, including 3 kilometers of Rivière du Diable’s shoreline. By this gesture of voluntary conservation, Station Mont Tremblant aims to protect Rivière du Diable as well as a regional wildlife corridor used by white-tailed deers.



What is a private nature reserve?
In an effort to support landowners in their desire to protect ecosystems, species and landscapes on their properties, the Government of Québec adopted on December 18, 2002, the Natural Heritage Conservation Act. This Act allows the Minister of Sustainable Development Environment and the Fight against Climate Change to recognize the involvement of owners by giving reserve status to their properties.

In 2005, with the support of its partner Biofilia, Tremblant installed 40 wooden thresholds in the Ruisseau Mercier located in the village sector of Ville de Mont-Tremblant. The purpose of this project was two-fold: to increase the oxygen level in the water and to clear gravel grounds used for spawning.

Tremblant is a member of an independent regional committee that includes the six golf courses located in Ville de Mont-Tremblant. The primary objective of this committee is environmental protection. Since 2003, unified environmental monitoring is conducted on a regular basis by an external consultant. Nearly 2000 fertilizer and pesticide analyses are performed each year in order to preserve water quality in Rivière du Diable. The results are sent to Ville de Mont-Tremblant and to the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MDDELCC).

Construction
The construction of Lac Lumière at Versant Soleil was a real technical challenge. A 150-metre-long and 10-metre-high dam had to be built without affecting the spawning area populated by brook charr downstream. This challenge has been successfully accomplished and regular monitoring shows the fishes have continue to spawn in the area every year since.



Temperature and water flow management
Lac Lumière at Versant Soleil is equipped with temperature and flow sensors. These sensors monitor in real time changes in the temperature and water flow of the lake and brook located downstream of the lake. During hot summer days, an automated system opens a valve that draws cold water from the bottom of the lake to refresh the brook. Without this system, the brook would become too hot for fish activity during the summer. Tests done over a five-year period have confirmed that the system is adequate.

As of February 2011, Tremblant has taken several initiatives under the Stop your engine program implemented by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MDDELCC), in collaboration with the Association des Stations de Ski du Québec (ASSQ). This program aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by stopping needless motor idling.

What is idling?
Idling is leaving the engine of your vehicle run when the vehicle is immobilized.

Why should we turn off our engine?
Engine idling produces harmful fumes that are highly responsible for climate changes: carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Generated by fuel combustion, these molecules are called greenhouse gas (GHG). GHG emissions contribute to global warming and can be reduced simply by turning off your engine.

How can I contribute to this program?
Very simple: turn off your engine when your vehicle is immobilized for more than three minutes. Look for the Here we turn off our engine posters in P1, P2 and VIP parking lots, at Chalet des Voyageurs, and at Guest Services.

How does Tremblant contribute to this program?
By training employees and shuttle drivers to turn off their engine when their vehicles are not in motion.

Our grooming machines are equipped with a small device that is similar to a black box. This device records useful data for our managers: idling time, engine speed, braking peaks, etc. This data is intended to identify and change energy-consuming practices in order to get better fuel economy and reduce GHG.

In 2011, our maintenance team purchased a service vehicle running entirely on electricity. In addition to improving our balance of GHG, this vehicle reduces noise pollution by being completely silent.

The Casino Express gondola, which connects the South Side to Versant Soleil, is a free electric public transporter that reduces the use of personal vehicles. When not in operation, guests can travel from site to site by boarding the free shuttle bus.

Through participation in the Committee for Strategic Actions of Ville de Mont-Tremblant, Tremblant has actively been involved in the creation of the local bus network. This transit system moves an average of 200,000 passengers per year and contributes to the reduction of GHG.

In an effort to further reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere, Le Diable golf course replaced in 2006 all its gas-powered golf carts by electric carts.

The layout of Tremblant’s south side, commonly known as the pedestrian village, is characterized by a dense central core encouraging people to move around on foot. Furthermore, most of the hotels and residential developments are equipped with ski access or are served by a network of free shuttle buses. This organization of space reduces the need to use personal vehicles on site and contributes to GHG reduction. Compared to low density projects, high density projects also reduce the rate of deforestation per residential unit.

New lighting fixtures at Versant Soleil and in the VIP parking lot contributes to keep a "darker sky"’, meaning that they direct less light toward the sky than regular fixtures. This helps the astronomical observatory at the nearby Domaine Saint-Bernard which is equipped with a 16-inch telescope that is very sensitive to light pollution.

To reduce our energy consumption, almost all of our snow guns –close to 900– were replaced between 2005 and 2007. These new guns need a lower amount of compressed air, thus reducing the consumption of electricity by 30 to 40%.

The lodge on the North Side was completely overhauled in 2005. Better insulation, waterless urinals and new water faucets equipped with movement sensors are only a few of the many changes made to the building. As a result, the restaurant is now more environmentally friendly and esthetically pleasing.

Since 2009, the garden areas on the South Side are watered by untreated water pumped directly out of Lac Miroir. The flowers and the grass are watered at night or early in the morning to reduce water loss due to evaporation.

562 tons of recyclable materials were collected at the resort between January and December 2013. In terms of volume, this is equivalent to 163 40-cubic-yard containers or enough to fill a football field with over 1.2-m-high of waste (nearly 4 feet!). As a result, 6,520 cubic yards of material were diverted from the dumping sites.

To facilitate the composting process, our plates and disposable bowls are now made of cardboard rather than plastic. Moreover, since December 2013, the compostable items and food scraps from our kitchens and cafeterias are routed to an industrial composter located in Chertsey, in the Lanaudière region.

Tremblant’s ski patrol, in collaboration with the Human Resources Department, shipped some 40 boxes of old ski uniforms to Nepal. This initiative did not only help people in need, it contributed to reduce waste going to landfills.

For several years now, milk, coffee creamer and some condiments are available in bulk at the Grand Manitou cafeteria. This action helps minimize waste associated with food packaged in single servings.

We are proud of the sustainable development actions in most of our hotels:

• Each room is equipped with recycling bins
• The cleaning products are phosphate-free and safe for the environment
• The remnants of toilet paper rolls are used in employees' bathrooms
• Room temperature when unoccupied is set at 18 °C (65 F) during the winter season. Gas fireplaces are controlled with a timer and all lights turned off
• Towel cleaning is managed in ways to reduce water, detergents and chlorine consumption.

Tremblant has added new environmentally-oriented objectives to its procurement policy. We therefore join other companies that are committed to positively influence the market by encouraging their suppliers to provide sustainable products and adopt good environmental habits.

At the regional level, Tremblant is actively involved in the Alliance for the Integrated Management of the Devil's River Watershed. Tremblant is not only a major financial partner, but serves on various committees and contributes to the advancement of knowledge and the development of solutions for our community. This organization, more commonly known as AGIR pour la Diable, was officially formed on June 22, 2005.

In 2011, five ski resorts embarked on a broad study aiming to assess the impacts related to the operation of a ski resort. This initiative was the result of a collaboration between the Association des stations de ski du Québec and the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MDDELCC), which was funding the study. We had the privilege of being one of the five resorts chosen and the knowledge obtained through the process was priceless!

Ellio, a sustainable development consulting firm specializing in life-cycle assessment, helped us through this process.

The first phase of the study required a large amount of data collection, i.e.:

• visitor profile (number, place of origin and duration of stay)
• mountain maintenance (snow, grooming and lift operations)
• transport (visitor, employee and shuttle movements)
• food services
• waste management
• water consumption

Using the data collected, Ellio analyzed our impacts and identified the activities generating the strongest impacts. Together we then determined which actions could be implemented in order to minimize these impacts. Finally, we quantified the reduction potentials and set realistic targets to reduce our ecological footprint.

In 2011 and 2012, we undertook an environmental compensation project with the collaboration of Ville de Mont-Tremblant. The goal of the project was to divert water from the village’s storm system to a small body of water in order to treat it with floating islands filled with plants. Before this diversion, rainwater flowed directly to Lac Mercier. A five-year follow-up will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of this natural treatment system.