A render of the new six-storey, 110-unit housing building in Sun Peaks. (Image Credit: Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality)

By Victor Kaisar

Sun Peaks Housing

Construction underway on first-ever municipally owned rental building in Sun Peaks

Aug 3, 2025 | 11:00 AM

SUN PEAKS, B.C. — Construction is underway on a six-storey, 110-unit rental building that former Sun Peaks Mayor Al Raine referred to in his farewell note to the community prior to his passing last year.

The building will rise at 1180 Sun Peaks Road near the Burfield chairlift. The project is a partnership between the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality, the Sun Peaks Housing Authority, and BC Housing.

In April, Sun Peaks-based Meranti Developments Ltd. was chosen to build the structure after a review and evaluation of proposals submitted as part of the BC Builds program.

“It’s exciting for us because our housing authority up until now had been created but its not been really active,” Sun Peaks mayor Rob O’Toole said. “This allows us the opportunity to develop some middle-income housing for residents that want to stay here, make a life here, and raise a family here.”

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“[We hope] to have that secure housing model and hopefully its in a more competitive marketplace with some more affordable rents.”

According to the municipality, the new building will feature two studio, 21 one, 77 two and 10 three-bedroom units for permanent Sun Peaks residents and employees only.

“As part of the land acquisition with [Sun Peaks Resort], [we have] agreed to allocate 40 per cent of the future rental units to [the resort] for their long-term employees,” an April statement from the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality said.

“If [Sun Peaks Resort] is unable to fill all 40 per cent of the units, any remaining units will revert back to the Housing Authority rental pool and be available to other employees in Sun Peaks.”

O’Toole said the goal is to have the new rental building open within two years.

“Our workforce is getting larger and larger and we get busier and busier and if you don’t have good housing, then a lot of talented people will eventually move away,” O’Toole added. “This is an opportunity to retain them and to grow our community from a grassroots kind of stand point.”

“It’s designed to be housing for the longterm resident which is essentially our workforce, so we’re excited to see this project underway.”

– With files from Michael Reeve

Consruction underway at 1180 Sun Peaks Road. (Image Credit: Kent Simmonds/CFJC Today)