Mt. Cain will be receiving a $24,000 grant for maintenance work that will allow the ski-hill to extend their season in times when there is less snowpack.
Mt. Cain, which is known for its excellent powder snow at high elevations and easy backcountry access, has struggled with low snowpack at lower elevations early and late in the season.
The grant from the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) will fund a project to remove stumps, rocks, brush, and re-contour some of the lower elevation slopes to allow the hill to open with less snowpack than is currently required.
ICET is providing half of the total funding with the Mt. Cain Alpine Park Society contributing the balance.
The intent of the project is to generate more revenue and jobs at the community-owned operation.
“Mt.Cain is a significant seasonal employer of youth on the North Island and supporting them with this funding will help to sustain and increase those jobs while increasing total skier visits and associated overnight accommodations in the area,” said ICET Chair Phil Kent.
The benefits of this project are clear, said David Mazzucchi, Chair of the Mount Cain Alpine Park Society.
“If this project had been completed last summer, we could have opened over the lucrative Christmas holiday period,” Mazzucchi explained. “Missing those days due to a lack of snow at the bottom of the ski hill meant about $129,000 in lost revenue and $27,000 in lost wages. This project will help Mount Cain mitigate these challenges in the future.”
The project will begin later this summer, with completion anticipated by October.
Mt. Cain, which has the highest base elevation of any coastal ski hill in BC, is located near Schoen Lake Provincial Park and is run by the non-profit Mount Cain Alpine Park Society, making Mt. Cain Vancouver Island’s only community owned and operated ski hill.
About the Island Coastal Economic Trust
Created and capitalized by the Province of BC, the Island Coastal Economic Trust has been at the forefront of economic diversification, planning and regional revitalization for the past eleven years.
ICET is independently governed by a Board of Directors and two Regional Advisory Committees which include more than 50 locally elected officials, MLAs and appointees from the Island and Coast. This exceptional team of leaders collaborate to set regional priorities and build vital multi-regional networks.