slimeypete 0 Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Anyone been here? Decent place? >>>> Fortress Mountain Ski Area will not open in 2004-2005 Resorts of the Canadian Rockies ("RCR") has announced that it will not be operating Fortress Mountain Ski Area for the 2004-2005 winter season. The next year will be spent exploring options to create a sustainable Fortress operation, with a focus on an environmentally sensitive solution to long-term viability. "Fortress Mountain Ski Area faces significant economic challenges that makes the current operation not economically viable," says Matt Mosteller spokesman for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies. "Major contributing factors include significant decline in skier visit numbers and increased operating costs due to age of the chairlifts", added Mosteller. RCR said it intends over the next year to work collaboratively with the provincial government, leading educational organizations and others to explore what options can deliver a sustainable future for Fortress Mountain. "The costs of having Fortress being responsible for maintaining the provincial government access road year around, property taxes on an assessed value that far exceeds the market value of the resort, sky rocketing insurance premiums, escalating energy costs, and government limitations precluding on-hill accommodations has resulted in Fortress Mountain being unable to generate positive cash flow to make the necessary improvements it needs to continue operations," said Mr. Neil Jackson, General Manager of Kananaskis, at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies. " Despite substantial capital expenditures and improvements at the ski area in the Fall of 2003, Fortress for the 2003 - 2004 winter season, still could not generate enough skier visits to be economically viable," added Jackson. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Never been but I have heard it was supposed to be a really good place. Lots of steeps. But so much competion from many other resorts which draw their people from the same cities. Makes you think if the proposed Jumbo Glacier resort will be able to get lots of bussiness. And Kicking Horse even being a kind of new resort very close to banff. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Jumbo will be a long time in the making if at all. The Fort is playing a game to get the govt to open it up. ie close it down for a year loose money on taxes etc. The company wants the road cleared by the government, the taxes lowered and the option to build hotels and condos which your not allowed to do there. They spent money on new lifts this year so the plan still is a go ahead. If it doesnt open it will be a sled heads heaven next season. Youll see a run on sleds in the area for sure. Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Toque I've heard the same, but not been up there. Unofficial oppositon to the Jumbo (great name) project. http://www.unofficialopposition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2255 Link to post Share on other sites
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