This project has been in the works for sometime and I think most were hoping that it would just go away but it has not. The resort will be located on Brohm Ridge just north of Squamish and will eventually have a daily capacity of 19,000 skiers and boarders with an "impressive" vertical rise of 1000 meters. Although a significant portion of visitors are expected to be day trippers, the real estate component will include 1500 hotel rooms, 1850 condos and 500 single family homes. The area covers 7300 acres.

If this proposal goes ahead it would locate a large ski village and ski lifts right against Garibaldi Mountain near the popular Garibaldi Neve ski traverse. The developer refuses to rule out expansion into Garibaldi Park. A quick look at the map for this area shows that the best ski terrain is located inside the park. If this project goes ahead it seems almost inevitable that the developers will want to expand into the park.

The snowmobilers that currently use the area will get displaced and they are currently lobbying for a corriodor along the edge of the park to access some of the area around the black tusk microwave road area. This snowmobile displacement will mean that additional snowmobilers are going elsewhere to sled and this will put pressure on already crowded areas.

The Brohm Ridge project is currently being reviewed by the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO). The Environmental Assessment Office is once again accepting public comments on the Garibaldi at Squamish resort proposal after a 5-year hiatus to collect ground water data. The proposed all-seasons ski resort to be located at Brohm Ridge (13 kilometres north of Squamish) would include 124 ski trails and more than 5,000 housing units on Crown land between Alice Lake and Garibaldi Provincial Parks.

Those with thoughts on the proposal are invited to submit them to the EAO before June 22. There will also be an open house on the project at the Executive Suites Hotel in Squamish on May 21 from 3 to 8 p.m. I would like to know if any BCMC members are planning to attend so let me know if you are planning to go.

http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/pcp/forms/garibaldi_form.html