Revelstoke Mountain Resort provides updates on infrastructure upgrades and partnerships

Revelstoke Mountain Resort is working on improvements in a number of areas over the coming years, including new infrastructure upgrades, partnerships with Cabot and attractions. 

During a Tuesday, June 23 council meeting and Wednesday, June 24 general information session, president of Revelstoke Mountain Resort Jason Kelder updated council and a small audience on what’s next for the resort.

One major change coming to the mountain includes moving the Mac Outpost to the entrance of the Revelstoke Skywalk, formerly the Revelstoke Highline and building a larger seating and warming facility in the Outpost’s former location. Updated services such as electricity are planned and the new building is expected to open Fall, 2027.

The resort partnered with Kalesnikoff, a mass timber company based in Castlegar, B.C. to develop the new building using prefabricated mass timber modular techniques. 

“It’s an interesting technology using local B.C. sustainable construction material. We’re happy to showcase that,” Kelder told audiences at the information session. 

When it comes to future terrain and access expansion, the resort is working with Ecosign to plan out new lift infrastructure along with snowmaking and hydro access on the mountain. Continued steel and aluminium supply chain struggles have kept prices in fluctuation, but could be in the $120 million range, Kelder said. 

While season passes and lift tickets cover operation costs, Kelder echoed previous resort comments that real estate sales will be key for future lift builds.

Extensive additional parking isn’t in the infrastructure books, though, Kelder told audience members when asked about growing parking frustrations during peak winter days. Instead, the focus remains on supporting increased transit usage and multiple occupancy vehicles.

“Everywhere in Revelstoke is closer than a park and ride lot in most U.S. resorts or Lake Louise,” Kelder noted.

Kelder also touched on concerns around seeding and fertilizing for the golf course. 

Residents in Arrow Heights and lake users have previously pushed for water monitoring, and Kelder explained that the golf course is currently monitored by the ministry of water, land and resource stewardship and by the Association of Professional Biologists of British Columbia, known as RPBio.

“It’d be very hard to attract a customer to golf on a course that smelled,” he later said when council brought up community concerns.

Kelder highlighted Cabot Collection’s partnership with Audubon International, earning the course Audubon’s signature sanctuary certification for the non-profit’s environmental goals. 

Audubon International has often been confused with the National Audubon Society, an organization focused on preserving bird habitats and pushing for conservation policies. Some critics, including Sierra Club and Daniel Cristol, biology professor at the College of William and Mary have said the golf course certification company uses the name confusion to garner favour.

The upcoming 150-plus hotel with conference space and Chop restaurant space has been rebranded from The Karl, originally named for Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing founder Peter Schlunegger’s grandfather, to the Cabot Revelstoke Mountain Lodge.

“This partnership makes a ton of sense to extend it into the hotel. We’re really proud and happy to have Cabot with us on the accommodation side,” Kelder said, adding that Northland Properties, owner of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, will continue to operate the hotel within Audubon International’s certification parameters.