The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG) has accepted the third reading of the rezoning of Valemount Glacier Destinations (VGD) resort.
The regional district meeting was on Aug. 18.
While the agenda for the September board meeting has not been finalized, the district says it is anticipated that the Zoning Bylaw, along with the OCP Amendment Bylaw will be considered for adoption, which would finalize the rezoning.
The province recently announced the approval of VGD’s Master Plan. If and when the regional district finalizes VGD’s rezoning, it leaves only the completion of a Master Development Agreement (MDA) before construction can begin.
Construction expected to begin in the spring of 2017, ultimately, with a public opening in December 2017, VGD says.
Changes can be made to the Master Plan right up to the signing of the MDA, according to Tommaso Oberti, one of the resort’s designers.
The resort will feature a modern lift system designed for sightseers and skiers, as it will bring visitors to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Twilight Glacier, Glacier Ridge and Mount Arthur Meighen, according to VGD.
VGD will provide public access to large glaciers at an elevation of over 3,000 meters (9,850 feet), according to the Master Plan, with Oberti noting the resort will feature the only such access in North America.
The resort is expected to have a 1,997-bed unit base area development, VGD says, while the Village of Valemount has a population of roughly 1,100 people.
The ski hill will have a vertical drop of approximately 2,050 meters (6,726 feet), the largest in North America and third largest in the world, according to VGD.
