Mount Washington Alpine Resort

Ski hill in British Columbia, Canada

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49°44′18″N 125°17′55″W / 49.73833°N 125.29861°W / 49.73833; -125.29861Vertical507 metres (1,663 ft)Top elevation1,590 m (5,216 ft)Base elevation1,083 m (3,558 ft)Trails82Longest runLinton's LoopLift system5 chair lifts
3 surface towsTerrain parks2Snowfallavg. 11 m (36 ft)/yearWebsitewww.mountwashington.ca

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is a year-round recreation destination located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.^[1]^[2]

History

Mt. Washington Alpine Resort was established in 1979 by Henry Norie and Alex Linton, two Campbell River businessmen. The idea originated in 1975 when Linton, an avid skier and local businessman, was impressed by Mt. Washington's height and snowpack. Together with Norie, who owned a helicopter, they surveyed the mountain. After 16 months, they acquired the land from Crown Zellerbach, a forestry company, and enlisted Ecosign, a mountain resort planning company, to develop the resort. Construction commenced in 1977, making Mt. Washington one of the first master-planned resorts in British Columbia, similar to Whistler Blackcomb.^[3]

In 1989, George Stuart and a group of shareholders purchased the founders' interests and invested in upgrades for the resort, including lifts, terrain, base area buildings, and infrastructure. In 2015, Stuart's group sold the resort and a significant portion of the developable land near the base area to a Canadian subsidiary of Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.^[4]

Transportation

The resort is located at #1 Strathcona Parkway, Mt. Washington, BC, approximately a 15-minute drive from the Inland Island Highway, British Columbia Highway 19. Various bus services connect to Courtenay, and during the winter season, the resort operates a ski bus shuttle service with stops in Courtenay.^{[citation needed]}^[tone]
BC Ferries offers daily ferry connections from Vancouver to Nanaimo, as well as from Powell River to Comox.^{[citation needed]}
The Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) and Campbell River Airport (YBL) on Vancouver Island are the closest to Mt. Washington, approximately a 40-minute drive from either.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Mount Washington Alpine Conditions". Mount Washington Alpine Resort. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
^ "About Mt. Washington", Mt. Washington Alpine Resort
^ Manara, Mike. "Life Begins at 40", Comox Valley Collective, Vol. 21
^ "Pacific Group Resorts Buys Mount Washington Alpine Resort, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.