Image Credit: Sam Loxton/Sun Peaks Resort

By Victor Kaisar

Summer Snow Storage

Sun Peaks Resort implements new summer snow storing initiative

May 19, 2025 | 10:00 AM

SUN PEAKS, B.C. — Sun Peaks Resort says its the first in Canada to implement a new snow farming and storage system that will help it harvest and preserve snow through the spring, summer, and fall.

The resort says it has begun using insulated mats made by Finnish company Snow Secure to “help ensure reliable early-season alpine ski training in Sun Peaks.”

“This project is an important piece in our ongoing commitment to innovation and operational excellence,” Tim Foster, the Chief of Mountain Operations for Sun Peaks Resort, said.

“We’re proud to be the first ski resort in Canada to adopt this proven technology and to be able provide a reliable and resilient training facility for young athletes from around the world.”

Work began last month as crews collected about 14,000 cubic metres of snow on the OSV ski run located on Tod Mountain, which was then wrapped with insulated mats that feature a real time monitoring system on May 5.

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Later this year, when the snow is uncovered later, staff will spread it around on the ski run to support the early opening of the Nancy Greene International Race Centre.

Sun Peaks Resort says it has spent $180,000 to buy 18 mats to protect the snow it has gathered from the heat, sun, wind, and rain. They note these mats are predicted to provide an estimated 75 per cent to 80 per cent snow retention rate.

“We’re excited to be working with Sun Peaks Resort as our first partner in Canada,” Snow Secure’s CEO, Antti Lauslahti, added in a news release.

“Our technology helps combat unpredictable early-season weather with high quality, natural snow. Sun Peaks will save 1.5 million gallons of snowmaking water, which they will be able to use in other critical areas of their snowmaking operation.”

As part of its efforts to be more efficient with snowmaking, Sun Peaks Resort says this new technology will complement a multi-million-dollar investment it made towards upgrades for the existing snowmaking system.

“This upgrades includes adding new, more efficient snow guns into the fleet, employing on-board weather monitoring stations for automation, and upgrades to in-ground infrastructure,” a statement from Sun Peaks Resort said, noting the upgrades began in 2024 and will take place over the next few years.