About Us
Our Vision is to be…
Southwestern Ontario’s most dynamic destination for outdoor adventure.
Our Mission is to…
Provide year round experiences for guests of all ages and abilities to enjoy extraordinary fun and excitement.
In 1946, a group of individuals gathered at the top of Reservoir Hill to enjoy a new sport they had learned while serving overseas during The Great War. Each year more and more people would arrive at the site to participate in this young sport.
In 1949 the group of London skiers joined together to incorporate the London Ski Club. They surveyed the topography of the land and located a property outside of Byron that could be purchased, having a hill suitable to provide a variety of slopes from beginner to advanced skiers.
The club was established as a non-profit organization, in that, there are no shares whereby owners or shareholders get a financial return from the operation of the club. The Voting Members of the club elect a Board of Directors who helps guide the operations of the club along with the management staff. All surplus from annual operations have been used to maintain and expand the recreational facilities.
The first trails were cleared by hand and powered by a rope tow up Big Dip. The original clubhouse was located at the bottom of Hill 55 and remained there until the construction of a new chalet in 1972. Gradually the T-bars replaced rope tows that originally serviced J.S., Hill 55, Rusty’s, Big Dip, Double Dip and Elbow in 1968 and 1970. This was a big step in giving customers a generally cleaner and safer method of lift elevation.
In the 1960’s, a group from the Thames Valley Childrens’ Centre worked with volunteers at the London Ski Club to provide skiing opportunities for the blind and disabled. This has continued to be a successful program over the years, primarily due to the extraordinary efforts and commitment of many volunteers. The London Track 3 Ski School was incorporated in 1993 and formed an operating and partnering agreement with the London Ski Club. Currently there are 250 volunteer instructors serving over 120 disabled skiers each season.
In 1979, the club entered into an expansion program that gave skiers more vertical and new slopes. In 1990, the Board again took on a major upgrading project, which included the replacement of the J.S. T-bars with a new Quad Chairlift. The snowmaking system was expanded to cover more slopes with snow in a shorter period. We also moved our beginner area away from the main runs to give beginners a better chance to learn. The beginner run got a new handle tow that was much more proficient than the old platter lift.
In the summer of 1995, the Boler Mountain Bike Centre began operation on the property owned by the London Ski Club. The format of the operation is very similar to the winter operation with day tickets and memberships being sold. In its second year of operation, the bike centre increased its season pass base by more than 500% and hosted race #2 in the national Canada Cup series. The London Ski Club became a year-round recreation facility.
In 1997, The London Ski Club embarked on another major hill expansion and chalet upgrades. We added Tubing to our list of winter activities and enhanced the main floor of our chalet to become more user friendly. In 2003, The London Ski Club had a major renovation and face-lift, replacing the two T- Bars (Rusty and Big Dip) with a new fixed grip Quad chair lift and the trails adjoining the lift were realigned. We also added a state of the art conveyor lift to tubing.
In 2004, The London Ski Club undertook a major business change re-incorporating as a charitable organization. This was a major step forward in The London Ski Club’s ability to fundraise.
In 2005 a FIS Half Pipe was built beside the Tubing Park to add a new and exciting element for its youth contingent. An aggressive and vigorous capital campaign was launched in 2005, and in 2006, the terrain to our beginner area was expanded as well as installing a ‘magic carpet’ conveyor lift. This provided easy access all the way to the top of the new Half Pipe and Tubing Park.
The London Ski Club was often referred to as ‘Boler Mountain’ since 1949, as quoted in a very early newsletter by ski school director Garn Shaw ‘Boler Mountain in the Byron Alps’, and in 2010 this historical reference became official and the London Ski Club was renamed Boler Mountain.
Also in 2010, our status was change back to a Not-for-Profit Organization.
Through the generosity of many, we have been able to push ahead and continue to move forward with the strategic plan. We completed the first phase of the infrastructure replacement with the opening of a new Maintenance/snowmaking centre and the installation of a new electrical substation. Boler secured the purchase of a lift suitable for the West Hill expansion allowing us to forge ahead and expedite the construction of the West Hill.
On February 4, 2012, Boler Mountain opened the West Hill, offering an additional five runs with double the vertical of the original hill, serviced with another quad chairlift. Boler engaged the expertise of Snow Engineering Group to help develop a comprehensive business plan for the further growth of Boler Mountain.
In 2013, our summer operations were expanded with the Treetop Adventure Park, with five courses build in the Carolinian forest behind the ski hills along with a dual 1100-foot zip line, known as the Big Zip. This quickly made Boler Mountain London’s #1 outdoor attraction. Boler Mountain also added a new community playground that was built by over 200 volunteers in one day!
In the fall of 2015, Boler Mountain engaged local architect firm Tillman Ruth Robinson and California based chalet specialists BSA to collaboratively design an addition to our chalet, launching the Boler Builds campaign. The new state of the art facility welcomed our guests in 2017, providing an enhanced year-round experience including weddings, corporate and private events, and a dedicated chef to prepare expanded food services.
Beach Volleyball Courts were added in the fall of 2016 to further enhance our green season programs. More recently, yoga on the mountain, expanded hiking and biking trails, summer bike camps, and a new Family Treetops course, have been added to the outdoor activities.
In 2019, an outdoor patio for food and beverage was added providing a great community meeting place and offering weekly Trivia events throughout the summer.
Boler Mountain has an exciting future planned with a fifteen-year strategic plan in view to ensure longevity and accessibility for our community. Today Boler Mountain attracts over 130,000 winter visits and close to 40,000 summer visits and has become a key community partner providing healthful outdoor recreation with a variety of options for all generations to enjoy!
Click Here to read about Boler Mountain in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge all the treaties that are specific to this area: the Two Row Wampum Belt Treaty of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy/Silver Covenant Chain; the Beaver Hunting Grounds of the Haudenosaunee NANFAN Treaty of 1701; the McKee Treaty of 1790, the London Township Treaty of 1796, the Huron Tract Treaty of 1827, with the Anishinaabeg, and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum of the Anishnaabek and Haudenosaunee.
We are grateful to be here today. Together, we honour all Indigenous peoples – First Nations, Métis and Inuit – for their cultures, their languages, their wise teachings and ways of being, their stewardship and protection of the lands and waters – and life – that have shaped This Land for Millennia.
Together, we commit to acknowledge, to learn, to educate, to create opportunity and to honour sacred places, and to take actions toward real Truth and Reconciliation in support of our commitment to wellness for all, and to walking the path together in respect, peace and harmony for future generations.
We share this acknowledgement with the knowledge that we still have a lot of learning to do and welcome your support to grow, learn and educate ourselves together.
G’chi miigwech. Thank you very much.