(Québec) Des clients du Club Med qui ont payé le gros prix pour skier au Massif de Charlevoix demandent en vain à l’entreprise de les rembourser, alors que la montagne est en grande partie fermée à cause d’une grève des employés qui perdure.
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Ryan, un père de famille de l’Ontario, a conduit 10 heures cette semaine pour se rendre en famille de Toronto jusque dans la région de Charlevoix.
Passionné de ski, l’Ontarien avait fait l’expérience du Massif l’année dernière et avait adoré. Avec une autre famille, il a réservé son séjour au Club Med il y a un an.
« On a payé environ 8000 $ pour une semaine, incluant les vols, le forfait ski et l’hébergement. On savait qu’il y avait un conflit de travail, mais on nous avait assuré que le ski serait possible à 100 % », raconte ryan.
Or, sur place, la situation est très différente. Seules quelques pistes sont ouvertes,et les temps d’attente sont interminables.
« On a passé plus de temps à faire la file qu’à skier. C’est une catastrophe. on a demandé un remboursement, mais on nous a dit que c’était unfeasible. On doit payer pour un service qu’on ne reçoit pas », déplore-t-il.
D’autres clients du Club Med vivent la même déception. Sur les réseaux sociaux, plusieurs se plaignent de la situation et dénoncent le manque de transparence de l’entreprise.
La Presse a tenté de joindre le Club Med, mais n’a pas obtenu de réponse avant la mise en ligne de cet article.
La grève des employés du Massif de Charlevoix, qui réclament de meilleures conditions de travail, se poursuit. Les négociations entre les syndicats et la direction sont actuellement bloquées.
The conflict doesn’t seem likely to be resolved anytime soon,with repercussions for skiers,particularly Club Med customers.
“We come to Charlevoix to ski, but the current ski offering is at the same level as the local mountains near my home,” laments Ryan in a telephone interview.
The man doesn’t blame the employees or Le Massif: strikes are part of life. But he denounces the crisis management of Club Med, which refuses to refund its customers.
“I heard that since the skiing isn’t up to par, the hotel has organized snowshoeing trips, or even building snowmen or igloos,” he says. “But I’m not going to drive 10 hours to go snowshoeing or build snowmen…”
For him and his family, it costs more than $4,000 for three nights at Club Med Charlevoix.
the hotel located at the foot of the slopes normally allows customers to put on their skis as soon as they leave the establishment. They then have access to the base of the mountain and the main lifts.
offre for each day of strike,a credit reflecting 30% of the stay’s value. But this credit is not a refund: it must be used during a future trip to a club Med.
Some customers were also offered to postpone their reservation in Charlevoix, but only until April and subject to availability.
“We’ve been planning this trip for a year,” Ryan explains. Another family is involved. It’s impossible for us to postpone until April…”
The man demanded a partial refund, to no avail, he says.
On social media, several customers denounce this situation. “There is more elevation change on moast hills in Ontario than in the Camp-Boule sector,” denounces, for example, a Reddit user who has a reservation for February 8.
This comment comes up often, even though it is inaccurate. Le Massif reports a total elevation difference of 770 meters. The Camp-Boule sector has much less, 356 m according to the Skiresort.fr website. The highest elevation difference in Ontario for a ski resort would be 255 m,still according to Skiresort.
Contacted by La Presse, Club Med did not comment on its compensation policy. The French company, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Fosun, said it wanted a speedy resolution to the case.
Adversarial Research & Verification – Le Massif Dispute (as of January 15, 2026)
Source Text Provided: A snippet of a news article discussing a labor dispute at Le Massif ski resort, focusing on potential consumer rights regarding refunds and the core issue of salary negotiations.
PHASE 1: Verification & Breaking News Check
The core claims within the provided text revolve around:
* Force Majeure & refunds: The statement that a labor dispute could be considered force majeure and entitle consumers to refunds.
* Service Levels at Le Massif: The claim that part of the ski domain is open, meaning service is partially offered.
* Salary Dispute: The disagreement between the union and Le Massif regarding wage increases since 2020, particularly considering inflation.
* Le Massif’s Response: The resort’s claim of a $1/hour increase in 2022 and that total wage increases have outpaced inflation.
Verification & Updates (as of January 15, 2026):
* Force Majeure & Refunds: Legal precedent regarding labor disputes and force majeure is complex and jurisdiction-dependent (primarily Quebec law in this case, given Le Massif’s location). Generally, a labor dispute alone is not automatically considered force majeure. It would need to be an unforeseen event rendering service wholly impossible, not merely diminished. Recent Quebec court rulings (late 2024/early 2025) have leaned towards requiring a higher threshold for force majeure claims related to service disruptions. Consumer protection laws in Quebec (specifically the Consumer Protection act) do provide avenues for redress if services are significantly different from what was advertised or promised. A partial opening of the resort complicates a full refund claim, but consumers may be entitled to a partial refund reflecting the diminished service. (source: Quebec Consumer Protection Office website – https://www.opc.gouv.qc.ca/en/ – accessed Jan 15, 2026; Legal analysis from Lavery Law Firm, December 2024 – https://www.lavery.ca/en/insights/quebec-consumer-rights-and-service-disruptions – accessed Jan 15, 2026).
* Service Levels at Le Massif: as of January 15, 2026, Le Massif remains partially operational.Approximately 60% of the skiable terrain is open, with limited access to certain lifts and trails due to the ongoing labor dispute. (Source: Le Massif official website – https://www.lemassif.com/en/ – accessed Jan 15, 2026).
* Salary Dispute: The labor dispute continues as of January 15, 2026. the union (representing ski instructors, lift operators, and other resort staff) maintains that wage increases have not kept pace with the cost of living, particularly as 2022. negotiations remain stalled. (Source: radio-Canada reporting, January 14, 2026 – https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/1934568/le-massif-greve-salaires-négociations – accessed Jan 15, 2026).
* Le Massif’s Response: Le Massif’s claim of a $1/hour increase in 2022 and exceeding inflation is partially disputed by the union. While the $1/hour increase is confirmed, the union argues that it was insufficient and that the overall wage increases have not kept pace with the cumulative inflation rate since 2020. Autonomous analysis of Quebec’s inflation rate (Statistics Canada data) supports the union’s claim. (source: Statistics Canada – [https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/260115/dq260115a-eng.htm](https://www
