Western Canada’s abandoned ski resorts

 

Abandoned ski resorts of BC

 

The consolidation of the ski industry in North America has seen a handful of large companies buy up dozens of resorts

While the issue has just started attracting attention in the past few years — both SilverStar and Whistler Blackcomb are now owned by American giants — the trend is decades old. Smaller, family-owned and operated ski hills used to be common but are an increasingly rare breed.

Dozens of now abandoned ski resorts dot Western Canada.

YouTube channel Skier72 recently published a video taking viewers through these smaller hills from a fading era of skiing.

Abandoned and lost resorts on the list include West Kelowna’s Crystal Mountain, now under new ownership that is trying to relaunch the hill as Bull Mountain.

There was also the Lac Le Jeune Ski Ranch, which operated from 1947 to 1992, as well as hills that operated in Princeton, Sparwood, Nelson, 100 Mile House, Tillicum Valley, Lytton and more.

Tabor Mountain outside Prince George is working to reopen after a fire destroyed its day lodge in 2018. The YouTube video also details abandoned resorts in Alberta and Manitoba.

Up to a foot of fresh powder at ski resorts across the Thompson-Okanagan

Fresh pow blankets ski hills

Monday’s winter storm that caused havoc on highways brought an early Christmas present to Thompson-Okanagan ski hills.

Resorts received up a foot of fresh snow across the region.

Vernon’s Silver Star Mountain Resort saw 24 centimetres fall. As of midday Tuesday, conditions were mild, with the thermometer at -8 C and an alpine base of 136 cm.

“Looks like Santa is planning on giving us all an early Christmas present,” the resort posted as the snow began falling yesterday.

Big White Ski Resort east of Kelowna saw the most snow in the region, with 33 cm over the past 24 hours.

The alpine base is currently 148 cm, with a temperature of -10 C.

At Apex Resort near Penticton, it’s -6 C.

The resort received 23 cm of fresh snow during the storm, bringing its alpine base to 91 cm.

As of midday, its Quickdraw Quad lift was on standby due to high winds.

At Sun Peaks, near Kamloops, not quite so much snow came down, but the mountain still received 9 cm of fresh powder.

Its alpine base is 122 cm, and it was -11 as of midday.

“Powder Alert! … 33 cm over the last seven days means there are plenty of fresh turns to be found out there,” the resort posted on its Facebook page.