On Monday January 4th, Big White Ski Resort unveiled major plans to more than double in size over the next 60 years.
It’s part of their 2020 Draft Master Plan to secure a contract with the province through to 2089.
The proposed expansion will include 17 additional lifts, 200 more trails, a golf course and another mountain.
VP Michael J. Ballinghall was on AM1150's Early Edition.
“Through topographical photography and some of the great things that you can do on the internet now and with a computer, we realized that there was a second Big White literally a mile to the East that you can actually ski from and ski back to the main village and that got everyone excited.”
The plan began in 2003 when Premier Gordon Campbell challenged B.C tourism to double by 2010.
“We look at things like the airport. We look at things like the Coquihalla highway. We look at things like, what is the Okanagan Valley going to look like and how many humans are they going to be able to sustain and then this is going to be the playground. Build a nice playground and people will come and enjoy it and that's sort of what the vision has been since day one.”
The resort is now waiting on provincial government’s approval.
If they get it, the ski resort will grow from 607 acres to 1,628.
“We do this with a great deal of caution because you're so high. I mean, we delayed the opening of summer because there was still so much snow in the forests and really snow is what rules Big White ski Resort right now but we didn't have e-bikes five years ago so with the consumer and what technology is advancing with, we're going to have a lot more things to play with, play on and look at come the future,” said Ballinghall.
The first public consultation meeting is happening over Zoom on January 26th.
Find all the details at bigwhite.com.