Sullivan Landing enters the planning phase
Real Estate growth in Kimberley BC is moving forward, with the Lois Creek development – Sullivan Landing entering the re-zoning phase.
This development has been acquired by a new group, OKKO Communities. A previous attempt was made to bring this project to fruition, under the ‘Wildflower’ brand.
OKKO has put in a rezoning application for the land, from R2 to a new CD5 zone, which would allow a variety of building types.
Sullivan Landing Development will proceed in 4 Phases, the first of which includes 45 lots and 63 dwellings.
It is still very early in the planning process, and an open house will be held after the first reading of the zoning bylaw. An additional public hearing will be held at City Council.
Backcountry telemark skiing movie shot in the Kimberley Area.
Each year Utah based Powderwhores crew produces ski films, when the snow failed to fall in their home mountains forced the Powderwhores to hit the road.
For months we have been hearing from the Powderwhores that PW07 would have a different groove then the Utah-based crew’s previous Wasatch-centric productions.
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A very late start to winter in their home mountains forced the Powderwhores to hit the road. “We got into February and realized we had no movie,” Noah Howell said, “so we did what everybody else was doing and headed north.”
The resulting film: PW07, is a masterpiece on many levels, but none more for the way that the film unselfconsciously documents the exciting state of the sport of telemark skiing, here at the latter part of the first decade of the 21st century. This probably would not have happened if Utah had not failed to go off early last season.
Backcountry telemark skiing gets a lot of attention, in the athlete segments and in the segment shot on the Powderwhore’s trip to Kimberley, British Columbia. The ski mountaineering crowd is not forgotten in a beautifully shot.
And then there is the Alaska segment. What would a telemark manifesto be without seeing modern freeheel athletes on what has become the world’s biggest big-mountain stage? Comprising nearly a third of the movie, the footage that the Powderwhore production team brought back from the Chugach is totally off the hook. Dave Stratton and Devore, among others, shred huge lines with style and elan, and on a level unseen before in a telemark ski movie. The camera work is superb and the skiing is incredible.
Wonderfully paced and without apparently trying, PW07 takes the viewer on a ride which covers the main elements of freeheel skiing as it has evolved in the modern era. Technique is well represented by some of the strongest and most talented tele skiers ever captured on film, including young phenom Nick Devore, who made history last year at the alpine world’s premier big-mountain competition, the US Freeskiing Championships at Snowbird. Devore turned heads as the first tele skier ever to make the finals, while also finishing 18th out of a field of 150 of the world’s top freeskiing athletes.
Finally, the movie closes with a segment accurately titled, “Deep Powder,” and with a musical score written especially for this segment, this is the stuff from which dreams are made for many of us. Exceedingly rare are the days when the sun comes out and you get great light while the powder stays fluffy, and yet that’s what we have here.
Simply put, it’s the most awesome tele pow footage the Powderwhores have given us yet, and that’s saying a lot.
www.powderwhore.com
Kimberley Continues Upgrades to Recreation Infrastructure
The City of Kimberley’s Curling Rink just got a major upgrade. The renovation is part of the Kimberley’s vision to transform its spotting venues into world class training and competitive venues for disabled athletes and spectators.
Upgrades had to be made to the building’s roof and supporting structure, so it was decided to make the building fully accessible. In the past, athletes in wheelchairs had to be carried into the building and onto the ice.
“We’ve got a really nice facility for anyone with a disability to get into,” said Gord Jenkins, president of the curling club.
The main entrance and fire exits feature wheelchair ramps and automatic door openers. Another ramp leads down to the ice surface. The locker room was removed to make way for accessible washrooms. Also new are a reception area in the foyer, additional lighting, insulated walls as well as new dividers and a new zamboni.
Columbia Basin Trust came on board to support the $223,000 project with a $57,000 grant, “We’re honoured to be part of these projects,” states CBT board chair Garry Merkel. “But the people who make this happen are certainly not us, we just have the money.”
Kimberley Mayor Jim Ogilvie says the rink is now a very attractive asset to the community and thanked the curling club and CBT for partnering with the city to make it possible.
The curling club will be hosting the B.C. mixed Provincials in March, welcoming athletes to the new facility.
Construction of Conference Centre to Begin Spring 2009
Kimberley’s Paralympic Conference Centre , to be located at the base of the ski hill, should be ready for next ski season. The project is now entering the tendering stage and construction is scheduled to begin spring 2009.
The Paralympic committee is happy with the final draft plan, says Mayor Jim Ogilvie. The architect is currently finishing the blueprints and final tender documents.
“These delays have actually turned out to be good for us,” Ogilvie said. “We couldn’t come in on budget before and I made a promise that we wouldn’t go ahead unless we could come in on budget. But the new price of materials and availability of labour will help us. And it will create some jobs at a time when they are really needed.”
One reason for the delay was trying to come up with a design for the building to accommodate the two separate functions of the building. It became clear that this building was going to need two storeys, one for each function, but that brought on accessibility issues.
The revised plans take advantage of the location at the base of the ski hill, allowing the building to be built into the hill. This allows for the Paralympic centre on the upper level with access to and from the ski lift level, and the conference centre on the lower level with access from the parking lot.
This is a radical departure from the original plans, which had the conference centre on the top level.
“It became clear we needed a different design for accessibility,” Ogilvie said. “When the Paralympic Centre was on the bottom there were real problems with getting onto the lift level. And if you had a large number of people in wheelchairs, getting them into two elevators is a major problem.”
With the new design community access to the conference centre will be through the parking lot level, but a paralympian skier will be able to go down a ramp from the level.
Ogilvie says that construction will begin in the spring of 2009 and the centre should be ready for next ski season.
Delta Flies at Capacity with NorAm Cup Skiers
Visitors to the Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC, Cranbrook) on Saturday had a Bombardiersized treat. Delta carrier SkyWest’s regular 50 passenger jet was replaced for this flight only by their larger RJ900, which carries 76 passengers. Why? Athletes from the International Paralympic Committee’s NORAM Cup were going home.
The 2009 IPC Alpine Skiing NorAm Cup hosted by Kimberley Disabled Skiers Association wrapped up on Friday at the Kimberley Alpine Resort. 52 athletes competed representing 9 countries. Competitors came from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia and the USA.
Those returning on Delta through Salt Lake City were joined for the outbound flight by several “general” passengers, rendering the 76 passenger jet near full.
“The new Delta air service is an important link here”, says Laurie Reed, Coordinator of Air Partner Programs for Kootenay Rockies Tourism, “for Delta & SkyWest to be able to switch to larger jets to accommodate large groups and team needs is phenomenal, and the implications for tourism, business and economic development are huge.”
Cranbrook Mayor Scott Manjak agrees. “We see Sport Tourism as a real growth opportunity,says Manjak “having air service that can be this responsive to our travel needs is a great step in the right direction.”
And it’s not just about tourism. AR of the industries and communities of the region can benefit With this kind of service, the Canadian Rockies International Airport can be a gateway for large gatherings of all kinds …. literally bringing in visitors and delegates from all over the globe.
Demand for Cancun Growing
The current economic situation is having a positive effect on the demand for the Cancun Tourism Product. Bookings to popular beach destinations are strong, according to travel companies, and volunteering vacations continue to gain momentum.
Mexico attributes the positive tourism trend to a tumbling peso, which lost 30 percent of its value in 2008. In August, it was trading at 8 to the dollar. Now it is 11 to the dollar.
Tourism officials say Mexico saw 3 percent more visitors who spent an estimated 4 percent more in 2008, with tourists flocking to its beaches and cobble-stoned streets even during the global economic crisis. And, unlike most tourist destinations around the world, there is no sign that this year will be any different.
Another advantage is the drop in jet fuel prices, which have made flying cheaper and Mexico more attractive to North Americans looking to save some money.
Cancun, Mexico’s top beach destination, had an occupancy rate of more than 90 percent during the holiday season and officials expect at least 85 percent of the Caribbean resort’s 31,000 rooms to be occupied during the winter months.
Cancun remains the preferred beach spot in Mexico for spring break, with some 30,000 revelers expected to visit this year. The same number came to Cancun last year, according to Quintana Roo state’s Tourism Department.
Some 30,000 are expected to visit the beach spot in Mexico this year. The same number came to Cancun last year, according to Quintana Roo’s Tourism Office.
Brian Hoyt, a spokesman for Orbitz Worldwide Inc., which owns Cheaptickets.com and Orbitz.com, said the company’s hotel bookings in Mexico were up 25 percent in the first 11 months of 2008, compared to the same period the prior year.
“There’s never been a better time to travel (to Mexico) from a value standpoint than right now,” Hoyt said.
The Tourism Department says more than 18 million tourists, about 80 percent from the U.S., visited Mexico between January and October 2008 and spent about $14 billion.
Mexico is counting on tourism to drive it through the global economic crisis, with more aggressive ad campaigns on the Internet, the construction of a $7.5-billion resort in the Pacific Coast state of Sinaloa, and increased promotion in places such as China, Russia and India, where the number of people with disposable income is rapidly growing.
That will likely pay off. With endless beaches, quaint colonial mountain towns, ruins, and booming cities filled with restaurants and museums, the industry employs some 2.25 million people.
If you are thinking about visiting Cancun or investing call Irene Barnes at 250-432-9200
Discover the Powder Highway
If spectacular views, oceans of champagne powder, and a huge variety of terrain are what you are looking for, look no further that BC’s Powder Highway. This is a collection of authentic rural Canadian ski resorts and one of the last uncovered winter destinations in North America.
“This is one of the last pristine jewels, that has yet to be overdeveloped” said Irene Barnes, sales representative for two developments in the area. “The beauty of the area is truly breathtaking, combined with the fact that the lift lineups a short in the winter, and you can get a tee time in the summer, makes this area a great choice.’
Located in the Kootenay Rockies region in southeast British Columbia, the Powder Highway has one of the world’s highest densities of snow-sports operations, with more than 60 along the 530-mile loop. There are eight alpine resorts and dozens of backcountry, heli and snowcat ski operators, along with other activities, from snowshoeing to dogsledding to snowmobiling.
This area has been destination for skiers from the Calgary area and Europe for years, but the Powder Highway has been mostly an untapped resource for U.S. skiers and boarders.
Delta’s new direct flight from Salt Lake City to Cranbrook should change that.
The service, offered by Delta, began Dec. 17 and will run through April 1, with roundtrip fares starting at $278. Instead of a four-hour drive from Calgary, the two-hour flight gives U.S. skiers direct access to the Powder Highway, starting with Kimberley Alpine Resort just up Highway 95A up to Revelstoke Mountain Resort on the loop’s northwest corner.
There are negotiations to extend the service to the summer, when visitors can take advantage of outdoor activities like golf (27 championship courses), fishing and kayaking.
“We’re really touting ourselves now as fly-in, fly-out, ski-in, ski-out because in western Canada that’s unheard of,” said Bob Dyrda, the manager of Tourism Kimberley. “You might be used to that in a place like Colorado, but here you often have to drive four hours once you fly in. Now, people are going to have access to some pretty wild country.”
Kimberley, just minutes from the Canadian Rockies International Airport, is home of the Kimberley Alpine Resort, and the incredible Timberstone Development. This condo complex is located right on the ski hill for true ski out your door convenience.
The hill offers numerous long, true fall-line runs of all levels; covered with light, dry interior-range powder. The front side is famous for its many miles of delightfully groomed trails. With over 1800 acres of ski terrain, moguls and glade area to choose from, this charming ski resort is an option hard to pass up.
The city of Kimberley has the look of a Bavarian alpine village, and is renowned for its consistency of quality snow and four-star family fun. The picturesque Trickle Creek Lodge provides the convenience of simple ski-in/ski-out residence ensuring an even longer ski day.
Unlike the wet, heavy snow of western B.C., the snow along the Powder Highway is dry and fluffy, creating pristine champagne powder. There’s a lot of it — most places average around 30 feet a year — so skiers can often find fresh powder three or four days after a big dump.
CPGA Names Teacher of the Year – Shadow Mountain’s Rob Anderson
Although winter has laid a thick blanket of snow on the gold course at Shadow Mountain, steady progress is still be made toward the inevitable goal making this one of the best golf courses in the country.
As luck would have it, the newest member of the Shadow Mountain family Rob Anderson has been selected to receive the 2008 Teacher of the Year Award by the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association. This is one of four national awards presented by the CPGA for exceptional and dedicated service as Canadian golf professionals.
Rob’s new role at Shadow Mountain is General Manager/Director of Golf. Rob joined the CPGA in the fall of 1993 in the Tournament Players Division and competed on the Canadian Tour from 1994 to 1997.
As a player, Anderson is a past winner of the BC Club Professional Championship and has regularly been a strong contender in the CPGA Club Pro final.
Rob started at The Harvest Golf Club Kelowna in the Spring of 1998 where he became the Golf Shop Manager in 2001 followed by Head Professional in 2003.
In the last couple of years, Rob has received 4 PGA of BC Awards (2008 Teacher of the Year, 2007 Head Professional of the Year, 2006 Golf Shop of the Year, and again Teacher of the Year 2003). Additionally, Rob has received club fitting awards 2001 & 2003 from PING.
“Our 2008 National award winners are symbols of the passion and dedication to excellence that Canadian PGA Members bring to their profession in making the game of golf better for Canadian golfers,” said Lindon Garron, President of the Canadian PGA. “This year’s winners have set standards of excellence that all Canadian golf professionals can aim to achieve. On behalf of the Canadian PGA, the Zones, and the membership, I congratulate them all for receiving this recognition.”
Each year, a National Selection committee evaluates nominations from more than 3,500 Canadian PGA Members coast-to-coast and recognizes winners in each of the four categories with the winners receiving their award at the 2009 Club Professional Championship in November.
As the Head Professional at Cranbrook’s new Shadow Mountain Golf Course Rob Anderson is one of the PGA of BC’s most accomplished and decorated members. This past October, while still with the Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna, he was named PGA of BC Teacher of the Year for 2008. He was awarded the same honour in 2003 during his early tenure with the Harvest. In 2007 he was selected BC’s Head Professional of the Year and in 2006, Rob and his Harvest staff were chosen as the BC Golf Shop of the Year.
“Rob is a credit to our association and the national body,” said PGA of BC Executive Director Brian Butters. “I’m sure he’ll also be a credit and an outstanding asset for the owners and members of the Shadow Golf Club.”
For more information about Shadow Mountain call Irene Barnes at 250-432-9200.
With files from the Canadian PGA
