MONTREAL — The Régie du Bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) has approved the reopening of four aerial cableways at the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski area, but the L’Étoile filante gondolas remain inaccessible until further notice.

In a press release issued on Saturday, RBQ said it was partially repealing the order issued on December 16 that forced the closure of five lifts after a gondola crashed at L’Étoile filante a week earlier.

“RBQ’s priority remains public safety. The Mont-Sainte-Anne station has provided us with all the evidence and prerequisites for a partial suspension of the disposition of four aerial cableways. The reopening of L’Étoile filante will depend on the pace of meeting the requirements set out in the operator’s order,” said Michel Beaudoin, President and CEO of the RBQ, in the press release.

The ski area near Beaupré can resume operations on the slopes where the L’Express du Sud, L’Express du Nord, La Panorama Express and La Tortue ski lifts are used.

In a post on its Facebook page, the ski resort confirmed the reopening of the slopes on Sunday at 8:30 a.m., made possible “thanks to the permits and authorizations from the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec received on January 7, 2023”. 26 daily trails will be available when the mountain opens.

“We hope that all the work carried out, as well as the external reports indicating the safety of our facilities, will help allay the concerns of our visitors. We have fully clarified the causes of the December 10 incident with all the seriousness that the situation requires,” Maxime Cretin, general manager and vice president, Eastern Region, at Resorts for the Canadian Rockies, said in a press release Saturday afternoon.

On December 10, when the elevator was being commissioned, there was a problem with the fastening of a cabin on L’Étoile filante. According to the RBQ, the checks carried out in advance did not meet the safety requirements or the manufacturer’s specifications.

In its Dec. 16 order, the RBQ requested the resort’s operator, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, to provide it with the necessary documentation to demonstrate the safety of aerial cableway facilities.

“I would like to thank the RBQ teams who have worked tirelessly since December 10th to ensure facilities are compliant and safe for users and workers. The health and safety of everyone is our priority,” Labor Minister Jean Boulet said in a press release.

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This article was produced with financial support from the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.