Alberta designates Castle, Fortress, Nakiska ski resorts all-season to stimulate economy

Castle, Fortress and Nakiska in southern Alberta will get facility upgrades.

The Alberta government has given three ski resorts all-season designation in an effort to stimulate the province’s tourism economy.

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Castle Mountain Resort, Fortress Ski Area and Nakiska Ski Area will be the first all-season resorts, offering a wider variety of recreation activities that can be enjoyed year round.

“For decades, red tape has restricted these resort operations to winter operations only, and limited their ability to simply maintain the existing facilities,” said Minister of Tourism Sport Andrew Boitchenko at a press conference Wednesday.

Some all-season resorts, like Hockley Valley in Ontario have year-round amenities like golf and mountain biking.

The All-Season Resort Act will also pave the way for new year-round resorts in Alberta.

“This framework reflects the values Albertans expect: strong environmental oversight, effective wildlife management, Indigenous consultation and opportunities for economic participation,” said James Jackson, board member of the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta.”

New resorts will be subject to environmental impact assessments and must meet all existing environmental standards, including the Public Lands Act, Water Act and Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. Plans must address wildfire mitigation, sustainable visitor behaviour and wildlife protection.

Boitchenko said he is working with the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas as well as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative to determine the best way to protect wildlife.

“We are considering wildlife corridors,” Boitchenko said. “We’re looking at all the habitat in the area there to make sure that we accommodate wildlife corridors as well as the general habitat in the area.”

Wildlife crossings allow animals to freely travel over roads and highways safely, lowering risk of collisions and connecting populations to food and mating. They can cost millions of dollars to build.

Over the next 10 years, the three resort areas have the potential to create 24,000 new jobs, $3.6 billion in GDP and $4 billion in visitor spending, said the province.

Chelsea Quirk, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Alberta called the initiative a “powerful catalyst” for Indigenous tourism.

“One in three international travelers come to Alberta seeking an Indigenous tourism experience,” said Quirk. “These all-season resorts are prime locations to meet that demand.”

She added that the framework explicitly encourages Indigenous engagement and economic participation.

“We’re committed to fostering dialogue that will lead to genuine Indigenous partnership and leadership in the visitor economy,” said Quirk. “This is our change to integrate our profound cultural narratives into Alberta’s most visited landscapes, creating sustainable businesses and setting a new global standard.”

Developers and operators are encouraged to partner with local businesses and use locally sourced materials, workforce talent, suppliers and service providers.

The designation allows prospective project proponents to now begin Indigenous consultation, public engagement and proposal submissions to the regulator. Each proposal will be reviewed by the regulator with input from subject matter experts and affected municipalities.

Since 2019, Alberta has increased its provincial parks and recreation areas by more than 300,000 hectares.