Why did the BC government oppose an $80 million deal to sell a ski resort idea?

BC’s provincial government stepped in last week to pause the sale of the company behind a proposal for a new ski resort in the Sea to Sky region.

Representatives for the province showed up at a BC courtroom on March 15 to oppose a motion for a set of buyers to take over the company, and the court proceedings were adjourned.

“The government sought an adjournment in the receivership action that is currently before the court,” a spokesperson for the office of BC’s Attorney General told Daily Hive Urbanized. “The government has not filed any material at this time. As this matter is currently before the courts, we cannot comment further at this time.”

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The motion proposed that three buyers, Aquilini LP, Garibaldi Resort Management Company Ltd., and a numbered company, take ownership of Garibaldi at Squamish with an $80 million stalking horse bid.

According to insolvency documents posted online, Garibaldi at Squamish was more than $73 million in debt. It received conditional environmental approvals from the previous BC Liberal government, with certain items that needed to be completed before construction would begin.

Many of the environmental approval requirements still need to be completed, and the January 2026 deadline to start construction is fast approaching.

The project was estimated to cost $3.5 billion and create 1,600 acres of skiable terrain along with a village area.