COMMENT: Possible expansion at Red Mountain serves as a 'Grey area' for development
By Arlen MacLaine
I’m confident that everyone reading this has heard at least one of the many rumours surrounding the proposed ‘new’ chairlift going up Grey Mountain. With an official announcement from Howard Katkov postponed until further notice, the rumour mill seems to have found another gear. Everyone I’ve talked to has heard something different, and it is easy to understand the reasons why. The Grey Mountain expansion represents a cautious next step in the development of Red Mountain Resort.
Management at Red Mountain Resort is proposing the expansion under an “If you build it, they will come” philosophy, hoping to attract more skier visits from out of area. Many locals don’t need a lift to get to the top of Grey, and those same locals would chuckle or scoff at those taking the ten dollar cat rides this past season. However, the idea behind the lift is to make more of the terrain accessible to those who would normally not be able to.
Tourists on a short term holiday (among others) fit this description. These out-of-area visits are crucial to the maintenance and development of the resort, and consequently the town of Rossland as well. More visits to the ski hill equal more visits to the town, with money being spent on the slopes as well as in local establishments. Without the out of town visitors and seasonal population, both ski hill and ski town suffer.
This is the paradox that spurs arguments both for and against development at Red. We need people visiting the area and experiencing what makes Red Mountain Resort and Rossland so unique, but not so many or in such a way that we lose that uniqueness. It is a tough needle to thread.
How is the resort supposed to attract more people and create an economically viable and sustainable product, while maintaining that “hidden gem” feeling that so many of us have fallen in love with? I don’t believe to be a black and white matter.
The word ‘development’ strikes fear into the hearts of many locals, as visions of skied-out lines, long lift waits, and slope-side real estate appear before them. I share those same fears myself, though I don’t believe they will come to fruition.
Neither is the fear of development at the hill taking away business from local establishments in the cards at this time. Businesses providing amenities to a population that stays at the resort require some sort of population that stays at the resort. With real estate as it is, we won’t see a boom up at the hill any time soon. Visitors will still be spending their money in Rossland.
As for skied out lines, it would take a massive influx of people in order to put a dent in the wealth of untouched snow we are privileged to. A lift up Grey will serve to spread whatever influx of people may occur around the mountain, just don’t make Grey you’re ‘secret’ powder stash. If the lift goes in, depending on where the base is, the lift lines will also be spread around.
The possible Grey Mountain expansion may attract more visitors to the area. However, I don’t feel that it will bring massive (or even noticeable) changes to the day to day operations. The resort and town will still maintain their classic persona, and they both will hopefully enjoy a much-needed financial boost. If the lift gets put in this summer, we’re not going to go to sleep and wake up in a Whistler-like environment. On the other hand, if the hill doesn’t attract more visitors, it runs the risk of losing its financial stability, in which case the future is much more grim.
This topic has the potential to polarize attitudes for and against development at Red Mountain Resort, which have existed for decades, and will continue to exist for decades to come. It also has the potential to be a ‘grey area’ between the two, providing benefits for everyone.
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