Industry News
The general manager of Fernie Alpine Resort, BC, Andy Cohen, is pleading with uphill skiers to stop sneaking on to the slopes which have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the post on Friday, he highlights the dangers of accessing an unstaffed resort, such as avalanches and injuries, and warns anyone caught trespassing risks losing the ability to buy a pass for years to come.
Dear Fernie Community,
We are blessed to live in this relatively safe, beautiful place. Our mountain community is the envy of many and the destination of choice for adventurous vacationers.
While we enjoy the realities of this amazing valley, we are faced with our greatest test in our memory.
Fernie Alpine Resort and the rest of our industry peers just took an unprecedented step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and restrict visitation from people not living here. We closed operations on March 15th, in the hopes of helping our community and it’s brave health care warriors be able to deal with the coming challenges of COVID-19.
A few of our neighbours are choosing to ignore Fernie Alpine Resort’s closed status and continue to hike uphill within our boundaries.
What happens if they get hurt? Who will rescue them? Who will take care of them?
The dangers, including avalanches, on our closed resort, are massive. One incident triggered by a member of the public could lead to unintended yet devastating consequences reaching many of our staff and community.
We are reminding you that Fernie Alpine Resort is closed and that you are not permitted to travel across resort lands.
Anyone caught trespassing, by travelling up the mountain, risks losing the ability to buy passes for years to come.
Our choices are becoming less and less as this pandemic rises around us. Please do not put our staff and community at risk for the sake of a run. Is it really worth it?
Thanks for thinking about our community and neighbours.
Andy Cohen
General Manager
Fernie Alpine Resort
Ski hills across North America began closing down almost a month ago now after public health officials limited the size of public gatherings to slow the spread of coronavirus. Initially, many still allowed uphill skiing, but as the pandemic worsened and resorts became crowded, more and more have taken away that privilege. All but 8 states in the United States have issued ‘stay at home’ orders now.
There have been 15,150 confirmed coronavirus cases in Canada, resulting in 280 deaths.
Fernie Alpine Resort is located on Lizard Range, near the town of Fernie, British Columbia in Canada. It is known particularly for its high annual snowfall, reportedly the highest of any resort in the Canadian Rockies, and for its powder skiing. The resort also operates a mountain bike park, guided hikes, treetop aerial park, and zip line in the summer months.
- 10 lifts
- 142 runs
- 2,500 acres
- 5 alpine bowls
- 3,550 vertical drop
- 345″ annual snowfall
- 3,504-feet base elevation
- 7,051-feet summit elevation
Fernie Alpine Resort is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies which also owns ski areas, Kimberley Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Resort, Nakiska, Mont Sainte-Anne, and Stoneham.
