A contract dispute at the Mont Orford ski resort may jeopardize the upcoming season, and it's up to the Quebec government to settle the conflict, the centre's owner said Monday.

"Two people now have the ability to settle the situation. It's the workers [and] the union, and the government," said André l'Espérance, president of Mont Orford Incorporated. 

"The government has the possibility to sign a long-term contract, because they're there for the long term."

Employees at the ski hill were locked out on Saturday after contract talks fell apart. The two sides couldn't agree on a time frame for a new collective agreement.

Workers would like to sign a long-term deal, a compromise the resort operator says they should discuss with the government, not with him.

L'Espérance said he won't open the hill, even when the snow falls, until a new contract is negotiated.

The sale of season passes has bottomed out since the government announced its plans for the park, he added.