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Fact Sheet
 
• The Crystal Mountain Ski and Golf Resort is 9 kilometres west of the community of Westbank in the Okanagan Valley.

• Crystal Mountain is located twelve kilometres northwest of the Glenrosa Interchange of the Coquihalla freeway connector (Highway 97C), that leads from Vancouver to Westbank and Kelowna.

• Crystal Mountain Ski Resort currently has about 245 metre vertical drop.  The existing ski area has two chair lifts and a t-bar lifts and a total ski able area of 65 hectares.

• The expansion plan for the ski hill will increase the vertical drop to 700 metres and the ski able terrain will increase to 550 hectares of groomed ski runs.

• Crystal Mountain wants to invest in 12 new lifts, the development of a 4-season resort and partner, Ian Renton of BMR Golf, is looking at bringing a world class Signature Golf Course to Westbank. (BMR Golf’s recent accomplishments include Greywolf Golf Course in Panorama, which Golf Digest named Best New Course in Canada in 1999, and The Dunes in Kamloops, named 2005 Golf Facility of the Year by the B.C. Pro Golf Association.)

• Crystal Mountain has been a popular community ski area for families as well as Westbank and Kelowna school children attending Ski School.

• Preliminary plans include up to two boutique quality hotels, five bed and breakfasts, 135 condominiums, 139 townhouses and 360 single family chalets and employee housing. 25 First Nations Joint Venture Condominiums and 22 First Nations Join Venture chalets.

• The time horizon for the Plan extends over the next twenty year period.

• The Expansion Plan includes an 18-hole signature golf course, spa, tennis facilities, ski and snowboard school, re-established teahouse, several new chairlifts including a summit gondola

• Westbank is a semi arid desert climate with over 2000 hours of sunlight per year. The average July temperature is 24 degrees Celsius and the average January temperature is -1.6 degrees Celsius.

• The mountain gets an annual snowfall of 310 centimetres and no snowmaking is required.  To lengthen the season and take advantage of the optimal climate some snowmaking may take place.

• Crystal Mountain has attracted low to medium income families and younger people looking for an affordable recreation opportunity.   It will attract the overnight tourist looking for quality sleeping units. 

• Ski Resort Development on Crown Land in BC is subject to the Commercial Alpine Ski Policy administered by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, which encourages overnight accommodations.

• The application under the Commercial Alpine Ski Policy is complete. 

• Crystal Ski & Golf Resort Inc., and prime consultant, Pheidias Development Management Corporation, have applied to the Central Okanagan Regional District for rezoning for the first phase and an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment.

• Under the Commercial Alpine Ski Policy, a Resort Master Plan was approved in 2002, followed by the signing of a Master Development Agreement (MDA) between the provincial government in 2003.

• The Province just signed an updated and improved MDA as the updated MDA template was rewritten as the All Seasons Resort Policy after consultation with the resort industry.

• The new template provides greater business certainty for resort owners, improves resort operation and provides consistency in the provincial government’s administration of resort lands.                                                                                                                                 

• The proposed expansion plan is targeted at the middle income level for those who can afford one primary residence that functions as a family home and a resort getaway and families looking for a safe and comfortable vacation spot with great climatic conditions for all season resort. 

• The main traffic corridor to the region is Highway 97C, the Coquihalla Connector.

• Crystal Mountain is 35 kilometres from the Kelowna International Airport.

• Air Canada, West Jet, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air offer multiple flights a day branching from Kelowna to various cities throughout B.C., Alberta, Alaska, Washington and a growing number of central and eastern cities throughout Canada and the U.S.

• Crystal Mountain is located approximately 361 kilometres from downtown Vancouver, BC and approximately 617 kilometres from Calgary, AB.

• The Crystal Mountain Ski Resort Expansion Plan includes the existing tenure and also covers the area of Mount Last, the north east area of Mount Miller and a knoll south of Mount Last and Jack Creek.

To visit the Crystal Mountain Resort website for more information -click here-