Banff's Sunshine Village completely open for the summer season
After two years of disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at Banff Sunshine Village will be ready to welcome guests to enjoy all the resort has to offer during the sunny summer season.
Everything is open and ready to go this June, says Kendra Scurfield, the director of brand and communications at Sunshine Village.
"We want the world to know we're open for summer 2022," she told CTV News in an interview Thursday.
"We'll have our gondola running seven days a week, we'll have our interpretive centre open, we'll have our interpretive guided walks open to allow our guests to enjoy the beauty of the wonderful Rockies."
This is the first time the resort has been fully open to the public since the start of the pandemic, Scurfield said, adding that she is "very pleased" they'll be able to go ahead with their plans.
Some of those plans include recruiting summer staff and plowing trails once the ski season is officially over in May.
(Supplied)
The COVID-19 closures at the resort for the past two years was definitely a "challenge", Scurfield says.
"We went from being fully open, having one of the best snow and ski years, being on track to have our record year and then, all of a sudden, coming to a stop."
The following winter season was scaled back, she says.
"Our goal was to be open and stay open and we were successful at being able to stay open from Nov. 10 all the way through to Nov. 24."
The pandemic closure, while a huge hit to the resort's revenue, did present staff with the opportunity to make some improvements, particularly in regards to increasing the capacity of Sunshine Village's parking lots.
"We were able to grow our base area parking lot by about 15 per cent, which netted about 250 new parking stalls," Scurfield said. "We were able to put up new retaining walls to push back and grow our existing surface lot at the base of our mountain."
During the course of the pandemic, she says they were also able to build two large Sprung structures to provide an additional 9,000 square feet of lodge space.
Now that travel restrictions are being loosened in Canada, Scurfield says staff are ready to welcome guests, who are free to travel abroad, back to the resort.
"At Sunshine over the summer, we do have some amazing viewsites so I would encourage people to come and explore just how different the summer side is. Late July/early August is the peak for wildflowers. At Sunshine, we are home to some pretty incredible wildflowers and they can be knee-deep."
The resort opens the summer season on June 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING B.C. election results: NDP pulls ahead in key riding that could help party clinch majority
The ongoing count of absentee ballots in B.C.’s nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.
'We promise to be better': N.S. firefighter club criticized after group in KKK costumes attends Halloween dance
A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.
'Nobody wants to blow up the party': Trudeau staying, despite resignation calls
Several Liberal MPs are calling for a secret ballot vote on Justin Trudeau's leadership after he made clear he isn't going anywhere in spite of the calls from within his caucus to step down.
Next CPP payment coming on Tuesday for Canadian retirees
Here's how retirees will get their funds from the federal benefit.
Ont. couple accused of human trafficking plead not guilty as complainant testifies
Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney finally got underway on Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with a woman who worked and lived with the couple testifying.
Google exempt from Online News Act for 5 years, must pay news outlets $100M: CRTC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has granted Google a five-year exemption from the Online News Act, ordering it to pay $100 million to Canadian news outlets within 60 days.
'Pieces of wood': Gummy candies recalled, Canadian Food Inspection Agency says
A recall has been issued for gummy candies due to pieces of wood, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
'We can't control them': Clothing recyclers frustrated by criminals operating in donation bin industry
An organization that represents clothing recyclers says they’re frustrated after a W5 investigation found a fake charity and some violent players connected to organized crime have been muscling in on the clothing donation bin industry, and is calling for governments to do more.
Why a group of Canadian doctors says workplace sick notes need to go
Canadian doctors are calling for employers and schools not to require sick notes when it comes to short-term minor illnesses.