The lodge at Sunshine Village will close to the public on Friday, and remain closed for several days, to accommodate the use of the ski resort as a temporary staging area for fire crews.
According to Sunshine Village representatives, the wildfire that originated in the Verdant Creek area of Kootenay National Park remains approximately 2.5 kilometres from the resort’s boundary on the British Columbia side and does not currently pose any risk to the property. Nearly 150 registered guests are currently staying at the resorts hotel and all will be relocated ahead of Friday's closure.
The closure of the Sunshine Mountain Lodge is being done at the request of Parks Canada and is expected to remain in place for up to five days.
As of Thursday afternoon, Parks Canada estimates the wildfire covers an area of between 2,500 hectares and 3,000 hectares. The fire remains west of the continental divide at a location approximately 24 kilometres from the Banff townsite.
Several areas within Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park remain closed to backcountry use including:
- Fatigue Creek (Banff)
- Brewster Creek (Banff)
- Egypt Lake area (Banff)
- Verdant Creek (Kootenay) south to the Simpson River
All backcountry camping permits designated for the closed area have been cancelled until further notice. Anyone having camping reservations is asked to call 403-762-1556 or visit a Parks Canada visitor centre.
For updated information on the wildfire and area closures visit Banff Important Bulletins or Kootenay Important Bulletins.
