Dear Editor:

I’ve been watching with increasing amazement the Mount Baldy Ski Resort saga, which appeared on the front page of the Osoyoos Times last week.

I have spent most of my adult life around the ski industry both here in Canada and prior to that in Europe.

After spending 16 years in Whistler, we recently moved here to Osoyoos to retire.

One of the main things that persuaded my wife, who is a keen skier, and I to retire here was the availability of skiing at Mount Baldy. It is a gem of a ski area and has always reminded me of skiing in Europe in my youth.

Mount Baldy is also a complete and refreshing opposite to the

“animated ant heap” of large resorts like Whistler.

The closure of the Mount Baldy resort two years ago came as a massive blow to us and to many other local folk, including those who live up at the village and who work or ski there in the winter.

I have been in contact with both Fred Johnston and the receiver several times over this issue and possible closure of Mount Baldy for the rapidly approaching ski season.

Since I have friends who both have worked at and still live up at Mount Baldy, I am well aware of the deteriorating condition of the infrastructure and properties up there which make up the resort and its assets.

It is, therefore, frustrating to find that the creditor doesn’t seem to appreciate that he has been very lucky to receive Baldy Capital Corporation’s offer to purchase what appears to be an asset in danger of losing even more worth if it does not open for business this year.

Anyone who has been around ski resorts over the last 40 odd years as I have, will be aware that the only way to make one financially viable in the long run is by selling real estate.

Whistler-Blackcomb was incredibly lucky that its expansion tied in so closely with the boom in the Canadian (and world) economies, which enabled Intrawest to support the resort expansion on the back of property sales.

That is not the case here today at Mount Baldy.

It seems that Johnston and the Baldy Capital Corporation have grand plans in place to develop the ski area and have the finances to see those plans through.

I wish them nothing but good luck.

I also urge the creditor to use good sense, accept any losses and let the whole community move forward.

Finally, Osoyoos and the South Okanagan as a whole, has been living for a long time on its summer tourist business, leaving hotels and restaurants virtually empty for the bulk of the year.

With the advent of incredibly cheap package holidays to the sun and the increased gas prices and recent decline in the Alberta economy, to hope that tourism in the Okanagan can continue to survive on the traditional “eight weeks of summer” is unrealistic.

Everyone who lives here in the wonderful South Okanagan – including municipal councils, tourist agencies, First Nation bands, tradespeople and others – should please come together and support Mount Blady as part of a plan to broaden the income and year round prosperity of this gorgeous part of the country.

This goes far further than just a few skiers’ “fun” or the lives of folk who live at Mount Baldy.

It affects the prosperity and future of the whole area.

Thank you.

Colin McCubbin

Osoyoos, B.C.