First Nation proposes massive new ski resort near Hope

Site of South Anderson Resort. (Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners/Spuzzam First Nation)

Imagine a ski resort comparable to the size of Silverstar, Sun Peaks, or Big White but located just beyond the easternmost end of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and it is owned and operated by a First Nation as their principal economic development strategy.

South Anderson Resort, spearheaded by the Spuzzum First Nation, is proposed for a site just north of Hope in a scenic area generally framed by Highway 1 to the west and the Coquihalla Highway to the east. The site in the Cascade Mountain Range is roughly a two-hour and 30-minute drive from Vancouver International Airport.

With the provincial government’s multi-phased project of widening Highway 1 eventually reaching Chilliwack, the driving times could drop in the future.

The First Nation presented their highly preliminary concept to Hope’s municipal government on Monday and indicated this project has been in the works for at least three years.

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In May 2023, based on the work of various consultants experienced in mountain resort development, the proponents submitted their expression of interest report to the provincial government’s Tourism and Resort Development Division, which kicks off a long application and review process that can take many years, sometimes even decades, to complete, based on BC’s history with ski resort proposals.

South Anderson Resort BC Spuzzum First Nation

Site of South Anderson Resort. (Google Maps)

Site of South Anderson Resort. (Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners/Spuzzam First Nation)

Spuzzum First Nation, which has reserves in the Fraser Canyon, says their project has the support of the surrounding three First Nations in the area, which are the Boston Bar First Nation, Yale First Nation and Coldwater First Nation.

“We are a First Nation with an ambitious economic strategy to regain and develop our economy. As project planning unfolds and regulatory approvals are in place, partnerships with companies having expertise in resort and real estate development will be invited to participate with us,” reads the report, which notes the resort will create about 800 full-time equivalent jobs when operational.

“From the Spuzzum First Nation perspective, we will benefit from the South Anderson Mountain Resort Project through construction and operational job creation and sustainable cash flow from development and operations of the resort. Through the planning and development of the resort project, Spuzzum First Nation and our technical team, will build significant capacity within our (and other First Nations) communities through development planning phases.”

Preliminary site plan of South Anderson Resort. Click on the image for a large version. (Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners/Spuzzam First Nation)

Site of South Anderson Resort. (Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners/Spuzzam First Nation)

This is envisioned as a four-season/all-season resort with a major pedestrian-oriented resort village, with winter activities anchored by skiing and snowboarding and summer operations anchored by activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and an 18-hole golf course.

“This will include winter activities such as downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing and skating coupled with summer activities such as hiking, sightseeing, golf, mountain biking, fishing, climbing and other ecotourism-related activities. Conference and meeting room facilities are expected to attract business during the spring and fall shoulder seasons. A modest Nlaka’pamux interpretive centre will compliment the resort through the presentation of Spuzzum history, culture and land,” reads the report.

Based on the area’s historical weather conditions, there is “favourable snowfall, wind, and winter climate for resort development.”

The proposed regulated Controlled Recreation Area size is 18,320 acres (7,415 hectares) within the South Anderson and Central Anderson valleys.

The ski terrain itself would span 815 acres (330 hectares) across three mountains — Iago, Winters End, and Wolverine Track — with access supported by 11 lift and gondola lines, which will have a carrying capacity for up to 9,000 skiers per day when all three phases of the resort are fully built out. It is estimated the ski terrain will be able to handle as many as nearly 11,000 skiers per day.

According to the proponents, most of the area was previously logged, and the only access to the proposed resort site is currently a 25-km drive east on a former logging road from Highway 1 near Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park. It is noted that the resort site is much closer to the Coquihalla Highway, but no suitable logging road routes to the east of the site have been identified for a potential upgrade. The resort’s access road would need to reach highway standards either from Highway 1 or the Coquihalla Highway.

Site of South Anderson Resort, with the existing logging roads from Highway 1 also highlighted. (Similkameen Consulting/Spuzzam First Nation)

Site of South Anderson Resort. (Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners/Spuzzam First Nation)

At the base of the mountains, the pedestrian-oriented village will feature hotels, retail, restaurants, equipment rental shops, and staff lodging. Just outside the core village area will be the resort’s residential developments, with about 12,000 market beds.

This includes over 3,300 homes as townhouses, low-rise condominium apartments, and single-family houses, as well as a small RV park and 1,200 employee-bed units. The resort will have a day visitor parking capacity for 1,100 vehicles.

Based on preliminary market research, the proponents believe there is “significant pent-up demand” for a resort of this size and calibre in relative close proximity to the Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, and Greater Seattle, which is further aided by the site’s proximity to Abbotsford International Airport and Vancouver International Airport. This could be an alternative to Metro Vancouver’s North Shore mountains and Whistler Blackcomb.

They are forecasting 150,000 annual skiers in the first year of operations — growing to 400,000 annual skiers after a decade of business. Similar visitation is expected over the summer months.

The proposed South Anderson Resort compared with other major BC ski resorts. (Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners/Spuzzam First Nation)

But there are other major ski resort proposals closer to Metro Vancouver, too.

In April 2021, a group announced their proposal for Bridal Veil Mountain Resort, which would be located on the mountains that frame Chilliwack to the southeast — just off Highway 1. The Bridal Veil Mountain Resort proposal is competing against the proposal for the Cascade Skyline Gondola — a sightseeing gondola attraction similar to the Sea to Sky Gondola — further to the east in the Fraser Valley. The standalone gondola attraction is being pursued in partnership with the Cheam First Nation.

Even closer to Metro Vancouver, Sasquatch Mountain Resort on the west side of Harrison Lake — just northwest of Harrison Hot Springs — is pursuing a major expansion.

However, plans for Garibaldi at Squamish resort — just north of Squamish on the Sea to Sky Highway — have fallen apart. Earlier this month, a BC judge approved the sale process of the assets belonging to a company behind the proposal, with the court also approving a starting bid of $80 million.

In late 2023, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District approved a proposal to build the South Britannia surf park resort on the Sea to Sky Highway just south of Britannia Mine Museum. The six-acre artificial lagoon for surfing will be surrounded by hotels, retail, restaurants, and a new residential community. Construction on the first phase, the surf lagoon, could begin in 2025.

Preliminary concept for Bridal Veil Mountain Resort. (Bridal Veil Mountain Resort)

Footprint of Bridal Veil Mountain Resort. (Bridal Veil Mountain Resort)

Preliminary concept for Bridal Veil Mountain Resort. (Bridal Veil Mountain Resort)

2019 artistic rendering of the South Britannia surf park and community. (Tiger Bay Development)

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