Elfriede Huter, the co-founder of Mount St. Louis Moonstone Ski Resort north of Barrie, is being mourned by family and friends following her death on Dec. 25.
She was 86.
Born in Austria, Elfriede immigrated to Canada.
During the summer of 1959, she met her future husband, Josl. They were married in April 1960.
Huter’s family called her “a true pioneer in the Canadian ski industry."
On Dec. 16, 1964, Mount St. Louis opened for business. Four days later, the weather turned mild and the snow was gone.
During that Christmas and New Year’s, the Huters hired high school students to cart snow from the nearby bush in apple baskets to cover one trail, while three youngsters on skis packed down the chunks of snow.
Since that early beginning, Mount St. Louis Moonstone became well known for developing innovation in several aspects of the ski industry.
Huter and her husband were trailblazers in the Canadian ski industry, “turning their passion for skiing into a legacy that has touched countless lives,” the family said in her obituary.
Elfriede lived an “extraordinary life,” according to her family.
Her vision and dedication to family and the mountains she loved shaped not only her own family’s path, but also the skiing community she helped create.
“She was a powerful lady, and loving. She was also very competitive,” her son, Robert Huter, told Village Media. “She always wanted the best for us, and wanted the best that everyone could put forward."
Huter was a devoted wife, a loving mother and a proud grandmother who inspired all who knew her, he added.
Elfriede passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital on Christmas Day.
She is predeceased by Josl, her husband of 57 years, her sister Dorothea and her brother Adolf.
Huter is survived by her sons, Robert (daughter-in-law Sarah) and Andre, her older sister Rosa, and her two nieces, Gabi and Rosa-Anna.
She leaves behind a legacy through her four grandchildren, Nicholas, Jacob, Lukas, and Charley Grace, whom she adored and spoke of with pride and love, says her family.
A private funeral will be held for immediate family members at Mount St. Louis Catholic Church. The family has requested privacy during this time.
Elfriede’s celebration of life will be held Tuesday, Jan. 7 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Moonstone Chalet, where friends and admirers can come together to ski in her honour and share their cherished memories.
In lieu of flowers, and as an expression of sympathy, the family is asking that donations in Elfriede's memory be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to Covenant House in Toronto. Donations can be made through the Coldwater Funeral Home at 705-686-3344 or 1-888-645-5485.
Friends are invited to send condolences to the family at www.coldwaterfuneralhome.com.
