A proposed glacier ski resort near Valemount is moving into the public consultation phase.
Valemount Glacier Destinations aims to be continent’s first year round glacier resort. The resort area covers 8966 hectares of Crown land west of Valemount. A 2000 bed-unit village is proposed on an upper mountain bench, while lower base development near the airport will provide pedestrian access by gondola from the valley bottom.
“There is nothing like it in North America.” Resort Director Tom Oberti said “There are examples in Europe and other parts of the world, but this is the first time in North America where we will be accessing a mountaintop at 3000 metres with a skiable glacier.”
When questioned about the crowded BC ski market, Oberti says we only need to look south.
“BC has about half the resorts as Colorado and therefore half the skier visits despite having a larger population. Alberta is has a larger population than say Utah which is Colorado’s neighbour.”
Oberti added that “sightseeing” will be a major component of the project and they plan on tapping into the 3 million people a year that visit Jasper National Park.
“Valemount Mayor and Council are very supportive, the Regional District is supportive and so is the Province.” Oberti said “The First Nations have been a pleasure to work with, they have an interest in mutual benefits for the project and have been very engaged.”
Oberti says the Village of Valemount has a petition in support of the project signed by about half its residents, 500 people.
Informal info sessions have been held in the surrounding area since 2012, with feedback from them being implemented into the master plan. Oberti says this is now a formalized version of that.
He says they aim on starting construction on the resort in 2016.
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