Image: Bridal Veil Mountain Resort via YouTube / An aerial view of the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort east of Chilliwack. Four off-road groups have written an open letter strongly opposing the proposed BVMR ski resort, saying BVMR has not been transparent about its polling data that purportedly shows 80 per cent of the public supports the project. The off-road groups want BVMR to consider the impact of their proposed ski resort on all outdoor recreation groups and encourage them to work with them to mitigate their concerns before moving forward with the mountain resort concept.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Bridal Veil Mountain Resort

Four off-road groups in B.C. sign letter opposing Bridal Veil Mountain Resort

Apr 21, 2023 | 11:07 AM

CHILLIWACK — Four off-road organizations in British Columbia have published an open letter to media and local government in which they openly oppose the proposed ski area east of Chilliwack known as Bridal Veil Mountain Resort.

In a letter obtained by Fraser Valley Today dated April 13, four off-road organizations say they are adamantly opposed to BVMR and have applauded recent efforts by the Cascade Skyline Gondola project to hear their concerns about potential impacts posed by the proposed gondola.

The four groups represented in the open letter consist of the ATVBC Quad Riders Association of B.C., B.C. Snowmobile Federation, B.C. Off-Road Motorcycle Association, and the Four Wheel Drive Association of B.C. The letter was attributed to two presidents and two executive directors from the four groups.

“We wish to publicly announce our strong opposition to this proposed project (BVMR) and express deep concern over the lack of any consultation or expression of interest by the proponents to engage with our organizations to understand the impacts of this project to our respective motorized groups,” the letter states. “As you may know, there is actually two projects being proposed in the same general area (Bridal Falls) by two different proponents, and this is causing some confusion amongst the public.”

The letter says members of the four off-road groups have come together regularly since September 2022 to address the Cascade Skyline Gondola Project (CSGP) and have been working directly with CSGP to address its concerns over their current proposal. The letter states that off-road groups are “encouraged, to date, on their willingness to hear our concerns and work with us to bring together potential solutions.” It hopes to have an update on that progress in the not-too-distant future.

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The off-road groups criticized BVMR for its assertion that 80 per cent of the public supports the proposed ski resort proposal, a claim that has not been substantiated with publicly available data.

“We challenge the BVMR group’s claim of 80 per cent public support for their project when no real evidence exists of proper consultation with the user groups in the area or the broader general public,” the letter stated. “We are not in support of the current BVMR proposal.”

The off-road groups contend they’re concerned about public perception of the two very different projects, particularly when one appears to have consulted with them while the other, BVMR, has not.

“In consideration of the thousands of volunteer hours put into the area of the proposed ski area by all our associations and local clubs including trail development, maintenance and cleanup over the last 70 years, we feel it is important that our members be considered and consulted when making decisions that will affect these public riding areas,” the letter states. “We encourage the proponents of this project to consider the impacts on all outdoor recreation groups and encourage BVMR to work with us to mitigate these concerns before moving forward.”

A survey meant to measure public support for its project is currently available on the BVMR website in which it asks six questions of respondents, along with an option to communicate written feedback. The survey is available at https://bridalveilmountainresort.ca/survey/.

Detractors of BVMR say the mountain ski resort project has been rejected by Cheam First Nation due to the negative consequences it would have for their traditional territory. Many elected officials in the Fraser Valley have backed the Cascade Skyline Gondola project, not BVMR.

“The BVMR project could not be more different in terms of impacts, footprint and scope than the Cascade Skyline Gondola Project,” project co-founder Jayson Faulkner said in a statement released March 21. “BVMR has already been soundly rejected by the Cheam First Nation, including when it was known as the ‘Resorts West’ project back in the early 2000’s. Further, BVMR’s large low-elevation ski resort concept has been rejected by the closest local governments, other local First Nations and many others. When the proponents rebranded their project from Resorts West to BVMR, it created confusion amongst the general public between our project and BVMR. This confusion is still ongoing and exacerbated by a PR campaign to promote their ski resort concept.”

Meanwhile, the Cascade Skyline project envisions a sightseeing gondola that will provide an elevation view of over 1,200 metres above the Fraser Valley with breathtaking views of the Coast Mountains, Cascade Mountains, Fraser River, Harrison Lake, and Vancouver. Non-motorized activities consist of walking, hiking, snowshoeing, paragliding, mountain biking and viewing platforms. The Xwchíyò:m Cheam First Nation (CFN) has been the founding First Nation of the Cascade Skyline Gondola Project since the project’s infrastructure is located within their territory.

Project inception began in 2016 and was first marketed as the Bridal Falls Gondola Project before being re-named. The gondola base will be located at the current Bridal Falls Golf Course, while the summit terminal is six kilometres west from Mount Cheam along the west ridge between Mount Archibald and Codeine Ridge.

Faulkner says Cascade Skyline has always been envisioned as an “eco tourism, cultural tourism” project from day one, and does not require taxpayer funding.

“It ticks all the boxes for benefits with very, very little impact and a relatively small footprint,” Faulkner said. “We have no desire or need for a massive real estate development to make it viable. It is a project that has fulsome First Nation support and ownership from day one. A project that in today’s values and terms, meets the expectations of social license and intelligent, sustainable outdoor recreation infrastructure development. It is soft on the land, doesn’t require hundreds of millions of litres of water each year to operate, is consistent with community values, proven viability (check Sea to Sky Gondola) with significant long-term community benefits including a major contribution to economic independence and reconciliation with First Nations. We are grateful for strong support from stakeholders and the broader community during the lengthy approval process with the Province.”

For BVMR president Robert Wilson, virtually everything is fundamentally different versus the Resorts West concept that originated in the 2000s.

“Almost everything about BVMR is different from the Resorts West proposal, starting with the ownership and vision,” Wilson said. “We want to see this become a Sto:lo First Nations-led project where the ownership, design, construction, and entire visitor experience will be shaped by local First Nations. In fact, the only thing that is the same is the potential of this location to host locals and visitors in exceptional outdoor recreation activities.”

Wilson says his group has communicated extensively with personnel from the B.C. Ministry of Tourism as BVMR nears the end of the expression of interest phase.

“The Ministry of Tourism has dedicated much time and resources to our application,” Wilson said. “Recently, we had two days of meetings with three government representatives in Chilliwack. They were able to meet with various First Nations leaders and spent time touring the property by helicopter to better understand the lands and their use in our proposal. We are nearing the end of the expression of interest phase, having demonstrated the strong feasibility of our project to the government. We believe the next step will be to move to public referral.”

As the proposed area for the BVMR project overlaps with the proposed area for the Cascade Skyline Gondola Project (CSGP), the provincial Mountain Resorts Branch (part of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development) has initiated a review process in which they will be seeking feedback from local First Nations, the City of Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley Regional District, with the aim of determining which project, if any, should proceed to the next stage in the application process, BVMR wrote on its website.

As a multi-phase development, Bridal Veil Mountain Resort would be built in stages, according to its website. The first phase features an eco-friendly gondola that would rise 1,480 meters above Chilliwack, offering breath-taking 360-degree views of the Fraser Valley and the Cascade Mountain range.

If it grows to meet tourist demand, a second sightseeing gondola would be built to whisk guests to a vehicle-free mountain recreation area hidden 1,200 meters above the Fraser Valley. In winter, guests will be able to ski or snowboard, backcountry tour, cross-country ski, skate, snowshoe, go tubing or sightsee. In summer, they will be able to hike, camp, sightsee or go downhill or cross-country mountain biking. Ecological and Indigenous cultural programs and sightseeing will be available year-round.