Kicking Horse expansion approved

The Golden Eagle Express at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, near Golden (Photo courtesy High Country Properties)

Feb 21, 2011 — The Government of British Columbia and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (KHMR) announced February 18, 2011 in a joint press release the approval of a new master development agreement for the resort. This final step in the provincial approval process has opened the door for KHMR to become one of the foremost resorts in the Canadian Rockies and will bring continued economic prosperity to Golden.

“This is exactly the kind of development we want to encourage in B.C.,” said Steve Thomson, Minister of Natural Resource Operations. “Kicking Horse Mountain Resort showcases the beauty of our natural resources while supporting the local community. I know Golden will benefit from all the opportunities that will come out of this expansion -– from new tourism operators to contractors.”

As Kicking Horse Mountain Resort celebrates its tenth anniversary, the news is putting a big smile on the face of Steve Paccagnan, president and CEO of the resort. “…as we look forward to the next ten years we will continue to be a major economic contributor to our community and the province’s tourism growth strategy,” he said.

The 40-year plan for the project is impressive:

A 413-hectare (1,020.5 acre) expansion, increasing the total footprint of the resort to 2,109 hectares (5,211 acres).
20,000 new beds
Commercial development
An 18-hole signature golf course
A multi-use trail system with 11 proposed lifts and 1,695 hectares (4,188 acres) of skiable terrain.

Some other notable facts about the project:

Since its inception in December of 2000, Kicking Horse has invested more than $100 million in the resort, stimulating an additional $100 million of investment in the local economy.
When completed, the resort estimates its total capital investment will be more than $5 billion.
In a referendum, the town of Golden voted 94% in favour or the initial resort development.

Kinbasket CEO, Dean Martin, is proud of the example set by the positive, co-operative efforts of the Province of BC and private-sector industry working with first nations in their traditional territory. “This project has been instrumental in developing a very positive and progressive relationship that has resulted in a strong economic outcome for everyone…”

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is one of the province’s premier mountain resorts and one of the first new resort projects in Canada in the past 25 years. An important driver of economic development in the area, it supports a total of 320 full- and part-time jobs and millions of direct spending to the local economy. You can find out more about KHMR at http://www.kickinghorseresort.com.

For more information about what’s in store for Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, visit http://www.tti.gov.bc.ca/resort_development/docs/approved_plans/KHMR/KHMR-MasterPlan-March2009.pdf.