After a number of ski resorts in British Columbia have made the call to shut down operations due to concerns over COVID-19, Revelstoke Mountain Resort has now officially followed suit.
All operations will be suspended and access to the mountain will be prohibited until further notice as of 4pm on Monday, March 16.
“While we had hoped that we could continue to offer our guests a safe, outdoor place of escape, this will no longer be possible. In light of the growing need to limit large gatherings of people, we have made the difficult decision to suspend resort operations until further notice. We know that this is disappointing news and we did not take the decision lightly,” Vice President of Operations Peter Nielsen said in an emailed statement.
The decision comes after a number of physicians in the community stepped forward to voice concern over the resort, which attracts visitors from across the country and beyond, remaining open.
Dr. Cam MacLeod, a physician at Revelstoke’s Selkirk Medical Clinic, told the Mountaineer on March 15 that he supported closing the resort. He said clinic staff had reached out to RMR staff about the decision to stay open.
“It goes to our ability to handle surge capacity,” MacLeod said. “We’re a small town. It’s not very big [hospital]. What’s the wisdom of pulling extra tourists from all over the world?”
The resort had previously stated they would remain open and implement a number of additional means of sanitization.
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