Talisman Ski Resort

Talisman has been abandoned for almost a year now, and is quickly falling into a state of disrepair. Easily accessible (I drove in). Many people around - hikers, cross-country skiiers, dog walkers, etc.

Bidding for the main resort area of the Talisman property (150 Talisman Mountain Drive) closed at 3 p.m. on Monday, August 12. The minimum bid was set at $2.39 million to cover taxes owing on the property.

This is the second time Krueger has made the exact same announcement, as the first tax sale closed with no bids for the main property on March 4.

Other secondary properties, however, were sold at that time.

Grey Highlands Mayor Wayne Fitzgerald said he was disappointed the municipality received no bids in the second tax sale.

"But that's life," he said.

Monday's outcome was not what CAO Dan Best expected.

"I am surprised we didn't receive any subsequent bids," said Best. "In terms of next steps, staff will meet to assess options and make recommendations to council on the matter."

So the old Mountain Resort remains in limbo once more.

Arson on the same date...

Grey County OPP received a call for mischief to the property at 9:20 p.m. on Monday, August 12 after five males were observed entering the property. The caller heard glass breaking.

Police arrived on scene and detected smoke on the second floor. Grey Highlands Fire Department attended the fire, and extinguished it quickly. There was minimal damage to the building.

MacabreKiss: Built in 1963, the former Talisman Ski Resort quickly became a beloved destination for both beginner and intermediate skiiers. Once the largest ski resort in Ontario and one of the first Ontario venues for snowboarding. The resort even held international snowboarding competitions.

In the early 2000's Talisman was unable to remain competitive with nearby Blue Mountain and began to lose money, by 2011 they officially declared bankruptcy.

The owner vanished, leaving 200+ acres and millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. The site sat vacant until 2013 when an auction was held by the township to pay off some of the outstanding debt (which totaled $2.3M).

After 2 failed attempts at selling the property for back-taxes, the lot eventually sold to Brian Ellis in 2015 for $1.8M. The plans included retiring the ski hill, restoring the buildings and launching a golf course with the goal being to reopen in 2016.

The buildings were stripped to the studs while a club house for the golf course was built. The course was open briefly but has since shut down.

As of the summer of 2020 the entire property is once again sitting vacant.