‘Fortress Mountain is stoked’ about the prospect of a revival as a result of the new all-season resort legislation
In Kananaskis, Fortress Mountain’s owners indicate they are “stoked” about the proposed legislation which would allow an all-season resort to be developed on Crown land and nearly quadruple lease terms.
Alberta’s tourism ministry unveiled the All-Season Resorts Act last week, which is expected to provide greater investment certainty due to longer lease terms, Fortress Mountain Resort president and chief operating officer Chris Chevalier said.
Getting a big investor has been a challenge, Chevalier said. According to the current regime, we’ve been able to attract small to medium investors. We hope this All-Season Resorts Act will change everything.”
It is the province’s first attempt to grow its visitor economy from $10 billion to $25 billion by 2035, following British Columbia’s lead.
As a result of the act, public lands, water, and environment protection regulations will be centralized under a new ministry, and public lands will be reclassified as all-season resort areas.
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Fortress Mountain’s ability to attract investors could be negatively affected by the province’s 99-year lease commitment, Chevalier says. According to him, Fortress Mountain’s current 25-year lease doesn’t provide enough time for investors to recoup their investment.
“If you want to get people pumping $50-, $100-million into a resort, that time frame doesn’t work.”
Fortress Mountain was established in 1967 on more than 3,600 acres of Crown land south of Kananaskis Village. Several issues prevented it from bringing capital into its operations in 2004.
Skiers on the mountain have declined and an on-hill accommodation request was not approved by the Alberta government due to political opposition.
It appeared in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie Inception, starring Fortress Mountain Holdings in 2010, and offered cat skiing one year later. Skiers average 500 to 600 each winter, Chevalier said.
Slowly, efforts are being made to revive the mountain. Approximately $5 million has been invested in rebuilding and improving utilities, as well as cleaning up the decrepit resort. Mountain management has also developed a master plan.
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However, $55-60 million is needed from investors to fully revive the mountain as a day-skiing destination. Five lifts and construction of a day lodge, along with water systems and reservoirs, and minor amenities such as mountain signage would be covered by that figure.
Plan approvals have already been received, but investment is required. Brownfield development, also known as repurposing previously developed land, is also a theory behind Fortress Mountain.
Chevalier described Fortress Mountain as a low-hanging fruit, and much simpler to pursue than a new all-season resort.
Since Fortress Mountain first suggested these changes a decade ago, it was one of the first private companies to discuss them with the Alberta government.
Before announcing the act, Alberta did not mention whether it had talked to developers, saying the changes were caused by congestion in the province’s parks.
Chevalier said: “This has been a long-term goal for us, which is why we are pleased and excited about the opportunities it will launch.”
Legislation in Alberta was partly designed to align with British Columbia’s all-season resort regulatory regime. Albertans spend about $2 billion each year in the neighboring province with its more all-season resorts, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport.
‘Fortress Mountain’ may be a good option to find a suitable investor for the project to revive the abandoned resort, Chevalier said.
Efforts in this area don’t need to be reinvented. I don’t think they did — and we’re thrilled that it’s being discussed.”
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