A bumper crop of Canadian skiers are getting to the top of their favourite slopes the easy way -- by tow, T-bar or chair lift. At Camp Fortune in the Laurentians a newly-installed lift carries 900 skiers an hour up the Skyline Hill. Skiing has come a long way since 1887 when Lord Hamilton gave citizens of Ottawa their first glimpse of the sport: "amidst universal derision", he strapped on a pair of skis and descended the slopes near Government House._x000B__x000B_A dozen years later organized skiing got its start in Canada with the formation of ski-jump clubs. Today near most cities in Canada there are ski grounds with excellent trails, tows, jumps and lodges where enthusiasts flock for a week or a weekend. The Ottawa Ski Club with its 400 acres in Gatineau Park provides healthful recreation for its many members one of whom, young Anne Heggtveit, brought home to Canada its first gold medal for skiing from the Winter Olympics.