WINTER2017
MLBLUE
101
T
he small ski operation launchedby Jozo
Weider in1941has grown into a four-
seasons resort and village.Changes in
management andownershipmake this a fitting
time to reflect on the past and the present. In2014
theWeider family sold the remainingpart of its
interest in theBlueMountainResort to its partner
Intrawest, whichhadbought a 50percent stake in
1999. Alongwith this change,GordCanning, the
architect of BlueMountain’s growth after Jozo, and
manyof the top andmiddlemanagers retired tobe
replacedby anew generationof leaders.
While an erahas ended, the themes of theBlue
Mountain story continue. I am always askedwhat
Jozowouldhave thought of the resort today.My
answer is that the expansionwe see today reflects a
vision that Jozohimself pursuedwhilehewas alive,
oftenwithgreat creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
Jozodrove the business by always thinking ahead
andout of the box and improvising solutions
when survival was at stake.He turned a farmer’s
barn into a lodge; he grew foodon themountain
andbuilt chairlifts out of scrap steel in the back
yardof our home farm, locatedbetween theBay
and theMountain. In the basement of his lodge,
the Ski Barn, BlueMountainPotterywas born.
Upstairswas a cafeteria offeringhome-grown food,
entertainmentwith sing-songs andbarndances,
and a third level of rooms and accommodations.
From this eclecticmix of businesses, he launched
expansionof trails, lifts andbase lodges tomakeBlue
Mountain the leader amongOntario ski resorts.
L
ovingthe
W
inter
,
but
S
eeking
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our
-S
easons
R
esort
Skiingwas just gettingoff the ground as a popular
sport inOntariowhen Jozo arrivedon the scene
in1941 after two seasons of teaching skiing at
Quebec resorts. Jozowas a flamboyant showman
andpromoter andmade amighty effort toput
BlueMountain in the forefront of this trend in
recreation as it gatheredmomentum. Muchof
that impetus came from Jozo’s own efforts. Above
all he encouragedOntarians to love thewinter.
Insteadof dreading its onslaught andheading for
Florida,Canadianswere to stay and enjoy the
winter sunshine andpowder. At the same time
Jozoknew that he had to expand the business to
bring visitors here after the short ski seasonwas
over.He developed subdivisions andbuilt chalets
to encourage citydwellers to settle into second
homes.Whenwe expanded theResort in the
1970s andneeded a parcel of land for parking I
had tobuyback three lots that he had sold in the
1950s for $600 each.The owner of the vacant
lotswas a toughnegotiator andknew that he
had the upper hand.Hewas a former flyer in the
Luftwaffe, theGermanAir Force.His price, which
the resort had to accept, was $350,000. (There
weremany veterans ofWorldWar IIwho came to
BlueMountain to enjoy the peace andquiet, and
this includedmenwhohad fought onboth sides of
the conflict.)
In the early1950s Jozo, continuinghis summer
efforts, built a concert shell andhostedorchestras
andballets near the Ski Barnwith seatingon the
hillside.When the snowmelted inApril, he boiled
maple syrup tapped fromnearby trees or served
gluhwein
from a big ironkettle at the bottomof
theO-Hill tomark the endof the ski season. In
the 1960swith the onset of summer he hauled
summer visitors to the topof theMountainusing
thenewlybuilt SouthChair.Near its top terminal
hebuilt a rustic restaurantwarmedby a cavernous
fireplace and featuringpanoramicwindows affording
spectacular views ofGeorgianBay.Henamed it the
Hohenblick (“ViewFrom theTop” inGerman).
I
mmigrants
Jozo, always looking ahead, had anticipated the
conflict inEurope and immigrated shortlybefore
war broke outwithhiswife and son toCanada,
leavinghis idyllic lodge in the Slovakmountains
and seizingnewopportunities openedup at Blue
Mountain.He lovedhis adopted country andwas
generous in sharinghis good fortune by assisting
other immigrants and employing them inhis ski
andpotterybusinesses.They, in turn, brought talent
and skills to the area. ACzechdishwasher in the
Ski Barn,DenisTupy, stepped intoheavyblue
clay churnedupbybulldozers on theAppleBowl.
Scraping the thick lumps off his boots, he casually
remarked that they remindedhimof the clayhe
hadused in apottery factory inhis home country.
Jozo jumpedon the idea andwith thehelpofTupy
launchedBlueMountainPottery, Ltd.Thepottery
companygrew intoamajorbusiness that rescued the
resort frommildwinters. (Therewasno snowmaking
at that time and the resortwas struggling.)
European immigrants not onlybrought skills and
a fiercework ethic, but therewere talented artists
and craftsmenwho came aswell.They injected a
sprinklingof culture intoCraigleith, the struggling
farming village at the foot of themountain and
intoCollingwood, then a blue-collar town.My
wifeBarbara, anAmerican import, later built on
that legacy anddistinguishedherself as a leader in
arts, theatre andbusiness.
A standout among thenewcomerswasWalterTrier.
ThisCzech-German artist had enjoyed fame and
success as an illustratorwhoseworkwas featured
in leadingEuropean andBritishmagazines. Like
manyof Jozo’s friends,Trier andhiswifewere
refugees fromHitler. Jozobuilt a house and studio
forTrier on themountain that is still standing.
Trier paintings are prize possessions amongour
four families (Cannings,Mariks,McGillivrays, and
Weiders).My favourite is a caricature paintingof
a prize-winning cowwearing skis. It hangs onone
of thewalls of our original farmhouse, nowowned
by JosephMarik, husbandofmy late sisterAnna.
Trier’swork is featured in a special room at the
OntarioArtGallery.
Just as importantwere theneighbouring farmers at
the base and topof themountain.While initially
shockedby Jozo’s foreignways, they soon adapted
andmany took jobs at theResort.Theywere used
tohardworkon their farms andwere adept at
making equipmentwork.Theywelded steel, built
kilns for potterymaking, dugholes for lift towers,
and cut out trails, firstwith axes, thenwith chain
saws andbulldozers. Farmwives servedhomemade
chilis and stews in the base lodges.
The sonofBlue’s founder recalls a lifewell-livedonhis home slopes
words ::GeorgeWeider
