The proposal for a year-round ski resort outside of Valemount is entering the next phase.
The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George has approved first reading of an official community plan change for the Crown land west of the village to accommodate the Valemount Glacier Destinations resort.
Backed by Oberti Resort Design (who were also behind the stalled, but similar year-round Jumbo Glacier ski resort near Invermere), VGD proposes to be a 2,000-bed resort next to the world's longest in-bounds ski run and the continent's largest vertical drop with the additional draw of being North America's only summer skiing destination.
Plans for the resort date back to 2011 after a proposal for a $100 million Canoe Mountain resort featuring a hotel and golf course fell apart.
"This has been on a wish list and back burner since 1995 - 20 years later we've come a long way," Valemount mayor Jeanette Townsend said at a spring board meeting. "But I know there have been unsuccessful attempts for large destination projects in Valemount, unfortunately 2008 happened. I know the locals have had a difficult time accepting that, but I don't think they realized what an impact (the recession of) September 2008 had on investment anywhere."
The regional district's consideration means the door is now open to public consultation, in conjunction with soliciting feedback for the provincial review of the master plan.
There are four components to public consultation including participation in joint meetings with the Mountain Resorts Branch of the Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resources; invitation to comment advertised in the local newspaper and on the regional district web site and mailed to the owner of privately held land already designated resort commercial; referral to the three First Nations with identified traditional territory in the subject area (Canim Lake, Lheidli T'enneh and Simpcw); and referrals for comments from technical agencies.
Speaking to the regional district board of directors in March, Oberti Resort Design representatives boasted of the warm reception the project has already received.
"One of the things that really attracted me to this project was the level of community support, the level of First Nations support and of course the regional and provincial support that we have seen in the brief time that we've been here," said Valemount Glacier Destinations chair Stephen Leahy. "It is overwhelming, it is very supportive and certainly it will help the process go a lot faster."
Company president Oberto Oberti said he had a lot of confidence in the project's viability and ability to get financial backers.
"My confidence is due to the fact, as you know I'm now getting older and have done many projects and I cannot think of a project in which the product was this good that didn't get the investors to actually finance it. I've seen projects that are less good that got financed," Oberti told directors.
"So I really believe that what I've been told is real because the project is good and very valuable, very desirable."
