Industry News
A major redevelopment project has been proposed to turn the former Alberta ski area known as Fortress Mountain into a four-season resort. Fortress Mountain opened in 1967 and closed in 2005 due to financial difficulties and lease issues with the Government of Alberta.
Fortress Mountain is currently undergoing the single largest redevelopment project in its 55-year history. This project not only includes reopening its ski resort but also aims to develop more summer programs, making Fortress Mountain a year-round adventure destination. Currently, Fortress offers cat skiing and snowshoeing in the winter as well as many summer activities, including hiking, fishing, and filming.
The proposed plan includes a new base lodge, expanded terrain and lift infrastructure, and a new hotel, brewery, spa, and retail shops. This project aims to turn Fortress Mountain into a four-season resort to help boost Alberta’s tourism industry.
The former ski area covers more than 2,000 acres of Crown land in the Kananaskis region of Alberta and receives 300 inches of snowfall annually. Fortress Mountain is also known for its impressive natural features, which have attracted numerous Hollywood filmmakers to film on the scenic property. Movies like The Revenant, Cold Pursuit, Bourne Legacy, Planet of the Apes, and Jumanji have been filmed at Fortress Mountain, whose picturesque rocky mountain landscape provides a distinctive backdrop.
Two other resorts in Alberta were also designated as all-season resort areas by the provincial government under the new All-Season Resort Act. Nakiska and Castle Mountain, both located on Crown land, have been granted this new designation to expand operations into the summer to include activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and ziplining.
Alberta’s All-Season Resorts Act, which was passed back in December of 2024, aims to increase Alberta’s annual tourism revenue to $25 billion by 2035. By creating more all-season resorts, the Alberta government believes this will help it compete with destination resorts that offer summer operations in neighbouring British Columbia. Resorts such as Whistler and SilverStar already offer year-round activities that attract thousands of visitors each summer. Alberta’s new All-Season Resorts Act aims to compete with these resorts and not only attract domestic visitors, but international ones as well.
This new All-Seasons Resorts Act has drawn criticism, particularly regarding its environmental impact. Katie Morrison, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Southern Alberta, wants to see a more comprehensive approach to designating these proposed developments to ensure the area’s increased tourism is sustainable.
When talking with the CBC, Morrison stated, “We’re seeing a kind of popcorn approach, where developers can put in applications and there isn’t that overarching plan to make sure we are not overwhelming these important areas and we’re preserving the ecosystem values that bring tourists to these areas.” According to the CBC, Andrew Boitchenko, Minister of Tourism and Sport in Alberta, also mentioned that “designation is not approval of development,” and Indigenous consultations and public engagement are still required.
Although this new act can fast-track approvals for resort development on public land, it is not an automatic green light for these projects, as consultation with local groups and organizations has to be completed first.
Funny how everything causes ecological damage to the environment except things like ski resorts only the rich can afford.
Lift tickets too expensive for seniors
Odd asking resorts even though seasonal ,suffer?
Odd how even just open seasonally ,all these resorts suffer economically? People dont ski anymore?