Big Ben Ski Centre wins $25,000 Tourism Innovation Challenge Grand Prize
February 18, 2026
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Cornwall, ON – Big Ben Ski Centre was crowned the inaugural winner of the Tourism Innovation Challenge presented by the Cornwall Tourism Development Fund on Thursday, February 12th, securing the $25,000 grand prize to help the business with their goal of installing a new rope tow ski lift for the hill.
Five finalists pitched their tourism-based ideas to a large crowd at the Dev Centre, with a panel of local business leaders tasked with judging the pitches in a Dragon’s Den style competition. Each business gave a five-minute pitch followed by five minutes of Q&A from the judges, who worked together to choose Big Ben Ski Centre as the winning company.
“The Cornwall Tourism Development Fund is thrilled with all of applicants and our finalists had fantastic pitches. We look forward to hearing about the future success and growth of Big Ben Ski Centre and are thrilled to help them increase tourists who come, stay and experience Cornwall at it’s very best” expressed Cornwall Tourism Development Fund Acting Chair, Karen Torrie-Racine following the event.
The following companies delivered pitches on Thursday night:
- DroneSport by Aero Concept Systems (Paul St. Onge): DroneSport™ is a new, inclusive, technology-driven sport that brings live team-based competition, and immersive spectator experiences into a scalable, year-round tourism product. Live DroneSport™ competitions are hosted in a wide range of indoor and outdoor transforming existing spaces into visually compelling, spectator-ready competition arenas without the need for permanent construction.
- Big Ben Ski Centre (Sylvia McDonald & Jack Arnold): Big Ben Ski Centre has been providing people with a place to ski right in the middle of Cornwall for the past 50 years. While the East face of the hill is available for the public’s use, their current rope tow ski lift does not reach that area, so it goes almost entirely unused. The goal is to purchase a second rope tow ski lift to allow for easy access to that side of the hill, allowing the business to shrink wait times entirely.
- Fin & Flow Cornwall (Annette Labonte): Fin & Flow Cornwall is a mermaid‑themed wellness and creative experience brand rooted entirely in the City of Cornwall. It offers guided mermaiding sessions (“Pod Swims”) at the Cornwall Aquatic Centre, themed After‑Glow social events, and curated one‑night retreats designed to encourage visitors to stay overnight, explore the city, and return again and again.
- Sip & Scoop Canada (Jehan Shorish): For over ten years, Sip & Scoop has served families daily, evolving into a trusted and loved community focused business. Their new tourism-based idea is the Sip & Scoop PlayLab: a year-round, indoor, family-focused eat-and-play tourism experience designed to increase visitor overnight stays in Cornwall. Built as an expansion of the already established Sip & Scoop brand, PlayLab combines modern arcade and VR entertainment, interactive digital dining, and hands-on bubble tea workshops, all under one roof.
- Cornwall Downtown BIA (Debbie Burns, Angela Bero, Ross Butterworth): The Cornwall Downtown Business Improvement Association is proposing the creation of a weekly market running from May until October, followed by our Holiday Market mid-November through December in the heart of Cornwall’s historic downtown. This attraction will showcase a curated mix of local artisans, makers, specialty food vendors, food producers, cultural performances, and festive programming designed to highlight the uniqueness of Cornwall’s small-business community
The goal of the Tourism Innovation Challenge is to spark bold, creative solutions which will drive tourism growth and showcase Cornwall as a premier destination in Ontario. The program kicked off in early January with 10 Semi-Finalists taking part in exclusive coaching seminars, hosted in partnership with the Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre (CBEC).
The selected participants and their innovative ideas prove that there are incredible opportunities to grow tourism in Cornwall and the Cornwall Tourism Development Fund looks forward to watching all the companies bring their fresh solutions to life in the area.
About Big Ben Ski Centre
Big Ben Ski Centre is Cornwall’s downhill ski and snowboard facility. Managed for the City of Cornwall, the hill features snowmaking, grooming, a heated chalet, and a lending library of equipment, making winter sports accessible to the entire community.
As Cornwall’s premier “Winter Extreme Sports Playground,” Big Ben was recognized by judges for its potential to drive “heads in beds” (overnight stays) and its commitment to modernizing the 50-year-old facility. The hill now features a revamped chalet, an improved canteen, and an expanded rail garden for freestyle enthusiasts.
Located on Seventh Street West across from the Benson Centre, Big Ben offers a full suite of winter amenities, including:
- Professional Instruction: Private and group ski and snowboard lessons for ages four and up.
- Night Skiing: Under-the-lights sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings.
- Expanded Terrain Park: A growing rail garden featuring new 20ft and 30ft tubes and rails.
- Community Events: Highlights such as “Ski with Santa,” teen nights, big air competitions, and live music.
The centre also offers “Stay & Play” packages in partnership with local hotels, further establishing Cornwall as a winter destination. With this new funding, Big Ben aims to build on this momentum, providing even better access to the slopes for residents and tourists alike.
For more information, to book a lesson, or to view the event calendar, visit bigbencornwall.com or text (613) 707-6363.
About the Cornwall Tourism Development Fund (TDF)
The Cornwall TDF provides strategic financial support to projects and events that have a significant impact on local tourism. By investing in innovative ideas, the fund helps grow Cornwall’s reputation as a premier destination for visitors. For more information, visit cornwalltdf.ca.