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Mountain Man said:
Excited to see a MTB area in the plans!
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Yeah. The latest proposal seems focused on diversifying opportunities beyond skiing. Lift serviced MTB is really lacking proximal to Calgary. Fortress also has some unique hiking opportunities, including access to a rock glacier.

When I was about 8 or 9, I stayed overnight at Fortress with a Beaver Scout group and hiked the glacier. The lodge had really simple, but also really cool, dorm rooms.
 
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I know this isn’t really new info but it’s just surprising to me how many new developments/conversions are going up in this area. Assuming 1.5 people per unit that almost 2500 people there in the next couple years! Obviously the 226 from elements is considered slightly differently.
 
Never went to Fortress, learned to ski at Winter Green, then went right to Sunshine and Louise. Excited for this to happen so I can experience a resort that so many of my friends are so nostalgic for.

As of right now, the only lift access MTB in the entire province (that I know of) is COP. This would be a game changer for mountain biking here and might help take some of the pressure off Moose and West Bragg.
 
Fortress was great back in the day as it was cheap. Used to go there all the time from about age 9 to 12. Could catch a bus from Chinook with a lift ticket for under $20. The bus was full of unsupervised, feral Gen X kids so it was a great time. It did get some exreme wind
 
the government never did decide how to say yes to proposals in the parks or rec areas.

For Spray Valley the government rejected it and it wasn’t in a park — the government expanding the park killed the spa only version of the project. Sort of like coal exploration it wasn’t really a litigious engo thing, it was just generally unpopular no? Plus the government didn’t want to fund a big road upgrade.
 
CPAWS was the main opponent:

I went to the public info sessions in Canmore back in the day and it seemed like only opponents showed up. The public mood has likely shifted more towards support simply because existing resorts are becoming overcrowded and it better appreciates the need for economic diversification. I agree thst the Province has been disorganized and inconsistent on mountain develop mental since the 70s. Hopefully that has changed.

Spray Lakes can be accessed from highway 40 through Kananaskis Lakes.Upgrading Smirh-Dorrien would improve access from Canmore and Banff. At some point, the Province will likely need to do that, including a tunnel on the climb our of Canmore.

Besides Tent Ridge, I'm unsure what other greenfield sites would be suitable. Sparrowhawk is too steep, exposed and has unreliable snow cover. Maybe somewhere in the Highwood Pass area?
 
Does Spray Lakes get enough snow to warrant a ski resort? I think we should get Fortress going again, allow Sunshine and Louise to keep expanding and maybe accommodate another resort in the Crowsnest, but we do also need to accommodate nature since that is kind of the point of protecting these areas.
 
Mt Shark /Tent Ridge gets similar snowfall to Sunshine. Most other mountaineous regions in AB get substantially less snow.

I agree that Sunshine and Louise and even Norquay should expand, but that would be unlikely.

Louise has the most potential :
-Hidden Bowl beyond the new Richardson's Ridge expansion
-Wolverine Ridge, Wolverine Bowl and Purple Bowl to the skier's right of Larch. This area was removed from leasehold in exchange for West Bowl
-backside of West Bowl

Sunshine:
-lift service lower part of Delirium Dive
-open up all of Wawa Ridge, including its backside
-backside of Standish down to Rock Isle Lake
-Twin Cairns above Standish

Norquay:
-terrain beyond Mystic Ridge looksike it would have more sustained vertical, higher elevation and more favorable snow retention

Banff also needs more hotel rooms a d housing, again unlikely
 
I think any new resort is very unlikely - aside from Fortress, which is 50/50 (it will either happen or it won't!).

But if Fortress does proceed and shows that it is truly a new era of relaxed regulations, I could see a cat-skiing operation in the Engadine/Mt Shark area. Perhaps Engadine Lodge is sufficient for the luxury experience and they could build a more accessible lodge/visitor hub at Mt Shark parking lot. There's a ton of different activities happening nearby including dog-sled tours and heli into Assiniboine and potential for more XC skiing/MTB

And maybe Alberta Parks try to replicate a version of Lake O'Hara - first thought was Marvel Lake (AB side of Assiniboine), but converting the trail to a schoolbus worthy road would be a big endeavour. Elk Lakes would have been ideal if they weren't in BC - they're accessible by vehicle from Sparwood, but there is a 8.5km utility ROW from Kananaskis Lakes that looks to have a fairly substantial road cut.
 
I think Fortress will happen, it's just in what form and how long the buildout will take. The demand is there for another resort, and if they can change some of the rules to allow for condos to help pay for this, then it should become like Kicking Horse or Revy eventually.
 
DougB said:
Mt Shark /Tent Ridge gets similar snowfall to Sunshine. Most other mountaineous regions in AB get substantially less snow.

I agree that Sunshine and Louise and even Norquay should expand, but that would be unlikely.

Louise has the most potential :
-Hidden Bowl beyond the new Richardson's Ridge expansion
-Wolverine Ridge, Wolverine Bowl and Purple Bowl to the skier's right of Larch. This area was removed from leasehold in exchange for West Bowl
-backside of West Bowl

Sunshine:
-lift service lower part of Delirium Dive
-open up all of Wawa Ridge, including its backside
-backside of Standish down to Rock Isle Lake
-Twin Cairns above Standish

Norquay:
-terrain beyond Mystic Ridge looksike it would have more sustained vertical, higher elevation and more favorable snow retention

Banff also needs more hotel rooms a d housing, again unlikely
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As an avid skier, I want to see the national park ski areas expand and offer new terrain if it can be done in a sustainable way. However, allowing skiing to Rock Isle Lake and Hidden Bowl would be a mistake in my opinion. Even if there were no cut runs and just glades, having a lift and egress runs in those areas would tarnish the beautiful hiking and backcountry experience there that so many enjoy.
 
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