Marble Mountain
From the Beginning
to Where We Stand Today
There’s a place on Newfoundland’s west coast where a mountain leans over a river, where winter has always brought people together, and where generations have carved their memories into the snow. That place is Marble Mountain Resort.
We’re proud of where we are today — Atlantic Canada’s largest alpine ski area, with 39 trails, a 536-metre vertical drop, and an average of about five metres of natural snowfall each winter. But our story started long before there were chairlifts, season passes, or scenic summer rides.
1920s - 1950s
Before the Resort:
Skiing Comes to Corner Brook
Our roots go back to the 1920s, when Newfoundland Power & Paper opened a mill in Corner Brook and recruited skilled workers from Scandinavia. Those families brought skis and a love of winter. Skiing grew through the 1930s and 1950s as local clubs formed and new instructors arrived from Norway.
1961
Marble Mountain Opens
Marble Mountain officially opened in 1961 with a single trail, carved out largely through community effort and early support from Bowater Pulp & Paper. At that time, there was no lift — just one run and a vision for what the mountain could become. The first rope tow was added the following year in 1962, along with a second trail, using rope sourced from Bowater’s logging operations in Brakes Cove — but that’s a whole story of its own.
1960s - 1980s
Growing Up
By 1967, momentum was building, and a T-bar surface lift was installed in the area where the Newfie Bullet would later stand—yet another great story in Marble’s history.
By the late 1960s, Marble was becoming known well beyond the region. Olympic champion Nancy Greene once famously called it “the best skiing east of the Rockies.” Heavy snowfall and strong community support pushed visitation to nearly 100,000 skier visits a year, an incredible achievement for the time.
In 1971, new provincial investment brought Marble into a modern era with the addition of a chairlift and further trail development. By the mid-1980s, the mountain had solidified its place as
Newfoundland’s leading winter recreation hub—alive with energy, pride, and momentum that would define the decades to come.
1988 - 2000s
Modernization Era
In 1988, the Province created the Marble Mountain Development Corporation to grow the hill into a four-season resort. Major lift expansions followed, including the Newfie Bullet (1986), Black Mariah (1993), and the Magic Carpet (2009). These investments helped establish Marble as Atlantic Canada’s largest ski area.
1990s - 2000s
National &
International Stage
Marble hosted alpine events for the 1999 Canada Winter Games and the 2003 FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships, bringing global attention to western Newfoundland and solidifying Marble’s place in competitive freestyle history.
2010s - present
The Lightning
Express Era
In 2014, Marble opened the Lightning Express — the only detachable high-speed quad lift in Atlantic Canada. With a vertical height of 519 m and high capacity, it remains the backbone of the resort’s mountain access today.
Four-Season Growth
Beyond skiing, Marble now offers scenic chairlift rides, mountain biking and hiking partnerships, on-mountain dining, special events, weddings, and tourism experiences including cruise ship excursions.
Marble TOday
Marble Mountain continues to operate as a provincially owned resort focused on sustainability, affordable access, and improving outdoor recreation for the region. With 39 trails, extensive natural terrain, and a commitment to the community, Marble continues to evolve while honouring its heritage.
Our Future
From a rope tow in 1961 to an iconic four-season destination, Marble Mountain’s story has always been written by the people who ski, ride, work, and celebrate here. And with new ideas, fresh energy, and a renewed focus on community, the mountain’s best chapters are still ahead.