History-1950's

The Fifties

In 1956, Josl Huter, a young Austrian who had competed in the Austrian National Alpine Championship arrived in Canada. He settled into Toronto and began working in the automotive industry with no intention of getting into the skiing business. Josl had a friend, who was a Ski Instructor, at Limberlost Resort near Huntsville. During the Christmas Holidays of 1956, Josl went to Limberlost to fill in for his friend who was sick and took over his position as a Ski Instructor. During this time, Josl was offered a full time position as the Ski School Director and during the summer he was offered the position of Sports Director along with running and organizing the Pro shop.

In 1957, Josl started having problems with his vision. After consulting with several eye specialists, he was told to see a Neurologist in Toronto. This was now December 1957 and Josl was on his way to Quebec where he was to become a certified instructor. On his way home from Quebec, he stopped into the Medical Arts building in Toronto where he met Canada’s first neurosurgeon Doctor Ken Mackenzie. Josl was then sent to see Doctor Herb Highland who was in charge of neurosurgery at Toronto General Hospital. Josl was immediately put into the hospital. After 12 days of extensive examinations, Josl was told to go home for Christmas and New Years and to return in January.

He returned to the hospital on January 6, 1958 and on January 10th Doctor Harry Botterel performed the surgery that diagnosed a brain tumor about the size of a ping-pong ball that was blocking circulation around the brain and disrupting Josl’s vision. After the operation, Josl stayed in Toronto with friends until he had healed from the operation. Once he was well enough, Josl returned to the hospital for 3 weeks of intensive radiation treatment. Josl was only the second person in Canada to have this type of surgery and his outlook was bleak. Josl was sent home to Austria to recover.  He returned back to Canada during the 1958/59 ski season at Limberlost to fulfill his position running the ski school and proshop.  During a trip back to Austria in the summer 1959, Josl met his wife Elfriede.

In 1960, Josl & Elfriede married and during that summer Josl was offered a position at Muskoka Sands as the Ski School Director and running the Pro Shop. Josl found that the hill at Muskoka Sands was not that big.

He wanted to make the hill a little more challenging so he came up with the idea of taking sawdust and slab wood from a local mill and dumping it at the top and covering it with earth to give the hill more of a lift and challenge. While working in the Muskoka’s, Josl realized the potential growth of the Ski industry. 

Josl had a dream of owning his own Ski Resort.