The owner of the Mont Orford Ski Station announced Monday afternoon that the 2006-2007 ski season is cancelled and employees will remained locked out for the foreseeable future.

André l'Espérance blames the cancellation on both an ongoing labour dispute at the facility and uncertainty swirling around the ski hill's future, as Quebec gets ready to sell part of the parkland surrounding the recreation centre.

Negotiations between the ski hill's 400-odd workers and management reached an impasse Friday, three weeks after employees were locked out by the centre's owners on Oct. 31.

L'Espérance said Monday that it's up to the provincial government to strike a new work contract with ski hill employees, not him.

"I know that the contract is bad for the enterprise. I have a major risk to sign that kind of contract in the circumstances now."

The Canadian Union of Public Service Employees accused l'Espérance of negotiating in bad faith all this time.

People who have bought season passes to Mont Orford will be reimbursed, L'Espérance said.

Orford-area businesses suffering

The cancellation comes at a time when Mont Orford's fortunes seem propelled in a downward spiral.

The owner of two high-end hotels near the provincial park announced on the weekend that he is selling one of his businesses because of the precarious ski season.

The ongoing labour dispute at the Orford ski hill does not bode well for the local economy, said Georges Marois, the owner of the two hotels.

With cancellations coming in every week, Marois said he's selling the Cheribourg Hotel instead of risking a financial hit this winter, which promises to be bleak for the ski industry in the region.

"You can see it in Orford, many signs for sale. There's a restaurant that has been for sale for a few months. And there are other commerces [for sale as well]."

The hotel's property value was recently estimated to be $9 million, but Marois doubts he'll get anything close to that.

"No one is going to come knocking because it's not worth it. It is a price based on a perfect situation, with the hotel operating much more than it is operating right now … We are not in an ideal situation now," he told CBC.

The Orford Chamber of Commerce is expected to meet with local businesses later in November to hammer out a plan to draw more people to the town over the winter.