Alberta — After years in limbo, Fortress Mountain is shaping up for a comeback. The question is how long it may take.
Rocky Mountain Outlook reported last month that the current owners of Fortress Mountain Resort are working on a plan for the revival of the ski resort. The work is still in the early phases, and more approvals will be needed before work can begin.
These new efforts are thanks to the All-Season Resorts Act. Passed in 2024, this Alberta law helps make it easier to build or revive a ski resort, such as Fortress Mountain. This is part of Alberta’s plan to increase its tourism revenue from nearly CAD$14.5 billion in 2025 to CAD$25 billion by 2035.
Andrew Boitchenko, the Tourism and Sport Minister of Alberta, said the following about the proposal and the All-Season Resorts Act:
“The regulatory framework for all-season resorts is still being finalized and no land has been designated at this time. Applications for designation will open once these foundational elements are in place…
Alberta’s government is committed to creating more year-round opportunities for people to visit Alberta while ensuring new developments strike the right balance of economic growth, environmental protection and Indigenous opportunity.”
Plans include new lifts, installing a new chairlift to Whiskey Bowl, expanding the base area’s facilities, and developing a network of summer activities.
The ski area has been closed since 2006. Since then, it’s been the host of various films and TV shows, like The Revenant. If you watched Season 2 of The Last of Us, you may have realized that they filmed there. In addition, the area has been home to cat-skiing since 2011.
While this news is a promising development, it still appears to be a way out from becoming a reality. For now, if you want to experience the terrain, you can go cat-skiing.
Image/Video Credits: Fortress Mountain Resort, Black Crows, Skimap.org
