Oliver (BC), Canada – Its vineyards are world famous, but when it comes to skiing, central British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley is best known for Big White, Apex, Silverstar and of course Sun Peaks. There are, however, other lesser-known ski resorts in the region as well, and the future of one of them was in doubt until only recently.
After suffering financial hardships, Mt. Baldy near the town of Oliver was placed into receivership in 2014 and never opened for the 2015-16 winter season. Not to be confused with the southern California ski area of the same name, Mt. Baldy’s assets have now been sold to an investment group led by Vancouver-based lawyer Victor Tsao for C$3.4 million. Joey O’Brien, an experienced resort operator, was named as the group’s Managing Director.
“We are very pleased to have found a purchaser with the financial and operational capability to restart the ski operation and lay a solid foundation for a sustainable Resort for the community,” said Gary Powroznik, Managing Director of G-Force Group, the court appointed receiver. “A lot of hard work and support has been received in preserving the potential going-concern gem in Mount Baldy and attracting the purchaser including from the OIB (the Osoyoos Indian Band), Resorts Branch, local residents and organizations, Mount Baldy skiers and former owners and employees, particularly the former manager Matt Koenig.”
“I hate to see ski resorts close and never open again,” O’Brien wrote over the summer on Mt. Baldy’s new blog, praising Powroznik’s efforts to preserve Mt. Baldy intact. “When I was a kid, there were over 2,000 ski resorts in North America. Today there are less than 700. They fail for a variety of reasons. A couple of poor snow years, weak management, aging infrastructure, and marketplace changes can all lead to a slow downward spiral. At some point, the resort can no longer afford new equipment, maintenance begins to wain, and closure is almost inevitable.”
The 48-year-old ski area, which operates on the traditional land of the Osoyoos Indian Band, has had its share of ups and downs in recent years. Its owners in 2012-13 ran out of funds, and even though another investment group opened the ski area briefly in 2015, they too were met with failure, and their Mount Baldy Ski Corporation was placed into bankruptcy in July. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake centered squarely at the top of Mt. Baldy even rattled the lifts earlier this month, although no damage was reported.
O’Brien and his team have been busy since early August painting buildings, disassembling lifts, cutting brush, ordering parts and putting staff on the payroll, including Koenig. It’s been a tall order, but O’Brien is confident that they’ll be ready when the snow flies.
“It turns out the people of Baldy want to be part of the success,” says O’Brien. “They are the resort’s cheerleaders. Level, straight, square, well done, complete, professional. They are the Baldy success story. I am beginning to feel like this team will coalesce into a fine working unit. I can’t tell you how much this excites me.”