Sun Peaks Resort Canada
Client
Year
1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2018+Services Rendered
Médias
Sun Peaks Resort is in the McGillivray Creek Valley, approximately 360 km north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Originally founded in 1961 as the Tod Mountain Ski Area, it was purchased in 1992 by Nippon Cable Co. Ltd., who hired Ecosign as the prime consultant and project planner for the ski area and base area developments.
Starting with the initial resort master plan and detailed village plan, Ecosign has since guided every step of development at Sun Peaks.
Utilizing lidar topographic mapping, we completed a technical assessment of the entire area including a ski area slope gradient analysis plan, solar radiation and cooling, and a terrain capacity analysis (TCA) to identify terrain pods, their skier capacity, and ability levels (TCAs are precursors to developing the overall lift and piste master plan, informing the most efficient ski area design possible by balancing the terrain’s design capacity to maximize skier safety and enjoyment). Pistes were then carefully designed to ensure the best snow conditions, accounting for the angle of the sun during the winter. Detailed site planning work informed all piste construction: the highest erosion control standards were executed, including the incorporation of cross ditches, fine grooming of the soil, and proper seed and fertilizer mixes to ensure a healthy grass base.
Master Planning
Ecosign’s original Master Plan for Sun Peaks focused on creating a sustainable, vibrant village core with buildings providing higher density tourist accommodation, conference and commercial facilities surrounding a welcoming pedestrian village street. The four-season recreation plan centred around an 18 hole golf course in the McGillvray Creek valley encircled by multi-family and single family real estate connected by a multi-use trail system. The recreation plan included a sports centre, a water based outpost on nearby McGillivray Lake, plus cross country ski, snowshoe, and dogsled trails, as well as a tube park for winter operations. The 1993 Master Plan has been updated three times to document the existing status of development and refine plans for future development taking into consideration the evolution of the community, the need for employee housing and facilities for local residents, as well as changing market preferences for four season activities.
Recreation Projects
- Lift alignment and detailed terminal grading plans for 12 new lift installations.
- Trail design and grading plans for new trails extending ski terrain onto four mountain faces and providing ski-in/ski-out access to existing and future accommodation developments
- Tubing Centre Design
- Conceptual design and programming for Sun Peaks Day Lodge and Sunburst Lodge
- Grading plans for snowmaking reservoirs and parking lots
- Design concepts for skier bridges and underpasses
Village Design
- Designed the overall layout, site grading, building footprints and massing, commercial and accommodation programming, pedestrian and vehicle access, parking and 3D Views, for the Centre and East Villages.
- Worked with the client to define a vision for Village and resort character and prepared Design Guidelines to reflect the Vision.
- Drafted the Sun Peaks Proposal Call to offer the initial Village and Multi-family parcels to the development industry and then participated in design review and plan integration of initiatives proposed by the successful purchasers.
- Prepared detailed design for the Central Village pedestrian street and covered bridge and conceptual design for the Sports Centre.
Real Estate Development Planning
- Initial design concept, site grading and landscape planning for seven tourist accommodation and multi-family development parcels.
- Preliminary road alignments, site grading and lot layout for six single family subdivisions.
Approvals
- Prepared and obtained approval for the Sun Peaks Resort Zoning Bylaw adopted by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District to allow for more intensive, urban style development within the resort boundary.
- Assisted in obtaining Crown Grants and Subdivision Approvals
Resort Governance
- Assisted in creation of the Sun Peaks Mountain Improvement District to provide services to the new community and its evolution to the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality
- Worked with the resort owner and their legal team to encourage the Province to enact the Resort Associations Act in 1995 to allow mountain resorts other than Whistler to have a destination marketing association with mandatory funding from all properties on resort lands.
- Aided in the creation of the Sun Peaks Resort Association
- Prepared initial draft and maps for the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality’s first Official Community Plan.
Today
Today, Sun Peaks is Canada’s second-largest ski area, renowned for its world-class design, seamless operations, and unmatched guest experience. The Resort boasts operating ski terrain encompassing over 1,700 hectares, 8,000 tourist beds, and a permanent population of approximately 1,400. Annual skier visits have grown from 55,000 to 450,000 annually over 25 years, and the resort has a vibrant summer activity program. Ecosign remains involved in planning for the resort’s future growth.
“In 1993, Ecosign prepared a master plan for the Sun Peaks Resort to transform the area into Canada’s next great mountain resort. A world class pedestrian village designed by Ecosign has been completed and skier visits have increased 3.5 times in six years. We are totally satisfied with Ecosign’s work on this project.”