By Chad Klassen

Simpcw First Nation has vested interest in new Valemount ski resort

Apr 26, 2018 | 4:57 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s being pegged as the world’s next big ski resort, perched atop a mountain with highest vertical in North America and third highest in the world. 

The Valemount Glacier Destinations ski resort isn’t set to open until 2021 — as early as winter 2020 — but once complete it’ll attract visitors from around the world. 

“There’s no region in North America with more accessible mountain and ideal snow conditions with ideal vertical rises and vertical drops,” says Tom Oberti, vice-president of Pheidias Group, the consultant on the project. “It’s an opportunity to build our tourism industry, which is fundamentally a sustainable industry.”

The resort received provincial approval last year and is nearly ready to begin construction, which the developer says could start as early as next spring. The first phase of resort development, including the village, will take about two years. 

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“The ownership group is very ambitious with what they want to achieve for project opening. They want the project to be on the map immediately,” says Oberti. “It’s not unique terrain to mountain access, but there are challenges from an engineering and construction point of view. So even though in past history we’ve worked on other projects where an opening within a year has been possible, or even less, we’re airing on the side of caution.”

The idea of the resort first came up in 2012 when the developer came to the village of valemount with this vision. But before proceeding further, they wanted consent from Simpcw First Nation based just north of Barriere. It’s a partner in the project with its traditional territory running through Valemount.

“The ski area has the largest vertical drop in North America,” notes Simpcw outgoing chief Nathan Matthew. “The area that it’s located in is very wild and beautiful. There are glaciers and it would be very spectacular.”

The resort developer says Simpcw was extremely helpful in the environmental review process. Moving forward, the Simpcw people will also have a chance to work on the project as well have other opportunities for contract jobs.

“We will have opportunities for employment. We’ll have opportunities to develop commercial or retail places within the development itself like the village area,” says Matthew. 

In exchange for the land for the resort, Simpcw also negotiated a land swap of 300 acres elsewhere. In addition to the resort attracting skiers and sightseers from across the globe, Simpcw First Nation hopes its own people can enjoy the year-round destination. 

“We also have some land within the area where we can do what we want with. We can build cabins, we can have places for ourselves to go and stay.”