A group of skiers hit the slopes last January at the Hidden Valley Ski Resort. Bids to take over management from the province are due Sept. 7.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Proposals to take over operations of Hidden Valley Ski Resort are due today with the province offering an initial 10-year lease to a private operator that would run the facility in the Cypress Hills.
That could take effect for the coming season, according to the scope of a request for proposals process initiated Aug. 10 by the province.
Alberta Parks has operated the hill since 2015, and a new contract would allow an operator to lease the entire site – including day lodge, rental shop and equipment – for an annual fee plus an agreed-upon share of operating revenue.
The operator would manage the facility and also be able to set fees and develop new facilities with the approval of Alberta Parks. It would include options for 25-year extensions. Finalized proposals are due today.
Officials with the Elkwater Ski Club told the News the group has had an “excellent relationship” with the hill’s managers in the past and they hope that will continue under a new operator.
The ski hill was first developed by the province in the 1960s, and was run by third-party operator from the mid-1980s until 2015, when the province again began directly managing the hill.
Documents included in the bid package state the average annual revenue since 2015 was $1.09 million, but costs are not stated.
It states the Ministry believes there are additional opportunities for boosting revenue through ticket sales, rentals, concessions and special events, both at the ski hill and through newly developed mountain bike trails.
It currently attracts about 22,000 visitors during the winter months from southeast Alberta and Saskatchewan, according to Alberta Parks.
