Marble Mountain

The provincial government has given $568,000 to the Marble Mountain Development Corporation to help improve the resort's snowmaking capability and to get the resort open as early as possible. Premier Danny Williams said the infusion of cash comes after consultations with local stakeholders in Steady Brook last spring regarding the future direction of Marble Mountain Resort. "The value of the Marble Mountain Resort to the west coast as a tourism attraction, and its value to the province in general were quite apparent throughout the consultation process," said the premier. "We understand the significance of positioning Marble Mountain to help capitalize on the existing growth opportunities in the Humber Valley region. These improvements to the resort are one aspect of helping achieve our overall goal of increasing the length of the tourism season in the province." Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Paul Shelley noted that when the Marble Mountain Development Corporation was formed in 1988, its primary goals were to create a ski resort that would act as an economic generator and a catalyst for tourism development in the region. "Until now, it has been unable to promote a Christmas ski product due to the uncertainty regarding snow conditions at that time of year," said Shelley. "Other larger ski resorts have estimated that a significant percentage of their total revenue can be attributed to the Christmas period. It is anticipated that these new upgrades will have positive impacts for both the resort and other tourism operators." Overall visitation for Marble Mountain increased from 75,249 in 2003-2004 to 81,324 in 2004-2005, representing a hike of more than 8%. Season pass visits increased from 49,565 to 53,291, or 7.5%. Non-resident skier visits increased from 6,045 last year to 8,512 this year, representing an increase of 41%. Since 1995, Marble Mountain Resort has experienced an overall increase in skier visits of 84%. Justice minister Tom Marshall says the influx of funds will help improve Marble's product for all visitors of the resort. "Marble Mountain is striving to meet the needs of discerning skiers and snowboarders from home and abroad, while contributing significantly to the local economy," he said. "We understand that feedback from visitors is extremely positive, with the superb snow conditions and relaxed atmosphere topping the list of comments. The funding implications will, therefore, only serve to build upon what already know about the Marble Mountain experience." Further growth in skier visitation is anticipated with the new upgrades planned for the resort. A new water intake, accompanied by upgrades to the pump and electrical systems and 12 new snow guns will help position the resort to take advantage of the lucrative Christmas season. Also, the addition of snow tubing is expected to further enhance the guest experience at Marble Mountain during the 2005-2006 ski season.