Canmore, Alberta — The All-Season Resorts Act has brought a lot of promise to a few ski resorts in Alberta. Intended to speed up projects at ski resorts, we’ve seen that Castle Mountain, Fortress, and Nakiska have plans to transform into four-season destinations. Now, there’s one non-ski resort that’s aiming to use this act to install something you typically see on the slopes.
CTV News reports that Silvertip Resort in Canmore, not to be confused with the Silvertip heli-skiing operation, wants to install a gondola. Alberta is analyzing whether this land should be an All-Season Resort land zone.
The base terminal would be located next to the Trans Canada Highway. The eight-person gondola system would have a mid-station at the Silvertip Resort, and then its top terminal would be below the summit of Mount Lady MacDonald. Around the top terminal would be a restaurant and viewing platform of Canmore and the surrounding mountains. Silvertip’s owner, Stone Creek Resorts, argues that while it will bring in the range of 200-300k visits a year, it won’t generate a detrimental amount of new foot traffic to Canmore.
This project was previously proposed in 2017. However, a needed amendment to alter the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) and the requirement to change the boundaries of Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park stalled those plans. While these steps are still required, the new act aims to loosen other obstacles to the proposal.
Local Opinions
Opinions among the local community are mixed. Some welcome it as a tourism idea that would add something without a huge environmental cost, while others hate it because there’s been a lot of recent development in the area, along with potential impacts on wildlife. Also of concern is the number of All-Season Resorts Act projects in close proximity to one another.
One supporter is Eric Ostman, who worked at Banff Sunshine Village. He believes it would be a high-quality tourist attraction because it allows less athletic individuals to check out a mountain. He also believes it will cause a minimal environmental impact.
“It really needs to be examined with an open mind by everybody,” said Ostman to Rocky Mountain Outlook.
An opponent of the plan is Carl Griffiths, who lives next to the Silvertip golf course and has views of Lady MacDonald.
“It’s outrageous. It’s a disgrace. It will spoil the area. It will spoil the peace and tranquility of Canmore,” said Griffiths to CTV News.
It’s still unclear how the All-Season Resorts Act will hold up, as it could face legal challenges from environmental groups in the years ahead. The law was only passed in late 2024, so it’s unclear how it will hold up in the courts. It seems likely that lawsuits could come from the Fortress Mountain proposal.
Before the project can proceed, it will need to undergo a public review. After that, it will be analyzed by the province for 150 days, including an environmental assessment. If approved, construction isn’t planned for at least another year. Public comments are currently open until May 14th, and you can submit one here.
Image/Video Credits: Silvertip Resort (Eldridge Design Partnership), CTV News
