Pennsylvania's Laurel Mountain State Park will not open for skiing this season, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has announced.

After financial problems in 2004, the Somerset Trust Company took over the skiing concession from a failing entrepreneur. The state and the bank were open to offers from anyone interested in running the operation this year, but there were no takers.

The Laurel Mountain slopes were open in the fall of 2004, but closed due to mild weather after three months and did not reopen last winter.

In Canada, Quebec's Mont Orford ski and snow board area has shut its slopes for the 2006-07 winter season because of a "crippling" labor dispute that began last winter.

Mont Orford Inc. president Andre L'Esperance announced the decision three weeks after shutting out maintenance workers on Oct. 31. He told reporters that season pass sales were down 60 percent due to the looming labor action. Anyone who has already purchased a season pass will receive a refund.