Extensive expansion could start next month

If plans are approved, Mount Baldy (located 46 km north of Osoyoos) will begin an extensive expansion project as early as next month.
The expansion of Mount Baldy Ski Resort will see Mount Baldy become a unique affordable, family-friendly, year-round resort destination.
Mount Baldy Ski Corporation (M.B.S.C.) president Brett Sweezy outlined the expansion plans at the Destination Osoyoos annual general meeting last Wednesday in Osoyoos.
The development will be a phased process that will see an additional 7,800 beds, 13 new ski lifts, hotels, restaurants, a retail complex, a mix of residential properties, an outdoor pool and an 18-hole championship golf course by its completion. An upper and lower village will be connected by a set of hiking trails and a lift.
Sweezy estimates the total expansion project will take upwards of 15 years, at a cost of well over $500 million including ski area improvements, roads and infrastructure and real estate.
The project's phase development, however, will ensure that each phase can stand alone and begin to generate revenue before other phases are completed. Depending on the development involved, each phase may take three to five years to complete.
Mount Baldy was purchased in April 2004 by three investors from Idaho, whose concept of the ski resort came out of their own passion for the sport.
Mount Baldy is a little area that has a lot of potential, Sweezy said.
As the proposed expansion lies within the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band, the M.B.S.C. has formed a development agreement and partnership with the band that will work towards economic benefits to both parties.
When they purchased Mount Baldy, the M.B.S.C. looked at the direction other ski resorts were taking and were determined to create a new model for Mount Baldy.
Accessible lift service, affordable accommodations and being on the forefront of environmental stewardship were all included in the M.B.S.C. master plan.
The expansion will be a unique blend of alpine and back country concepts with the feel of a true resort, Sweezy explained.
In addition, a year-round 24km perimeter trail will afford summer recreational opportunities for hikers, horseback riders and mountain bike enthusiasts.
There is no defined timeline for each of the phases, Sweezy explained. Each phase will depend on both skier demand and public acceptance.
At completion, we project over a $1 billion injection of economic dollars into this area, with annual visits at 150,000.
Right now, the South Okanagan has a great spring, summer and fall tourism season, and with Baldy being developed, it will be the anchor for the winter season here, Sweezy said.