I don't know as much about the proposed Valemount development but the location is even worse than Jumbo as far as proximity to major centres. Not to mention the joy of traveling on Hwy 16 from Edmonton or PG. Also what's with the obsession on summer skiing? Is there any data to show it's a viable market (especially in North America in a remote area), it doesn't seem like something people are going to travel regionally/internationally for crappy glacier skiing in the summer in a province with so much other summer recreation available. Outside of training camps it's a gimmick.
Yeah it does seem like a bit of a risky venture, but I think it's mostly other investor's cash on the line, not Oberti's so much. In terms of selling proposition, they are banking on snow quality (one of the reasons many high class heli-ski operations are located in the area), proximity to Mt. Robson and the Jasper National Park, and sightseeing opportunities in the summer. As far as the summer glacier skiing - it does seem very niche and I also wonder what kind of demand there will be for that, outside of ski teams and professional athletes.
There is no doubt that it is fairly remote, but it does have some larger communities within a number of hours (3 to PG, 3 to Kamloops, 5 to Edmo). There is also an airport very near the proposed resort base, which could allow for fly-in access essentially. I'm interested to see how this will play out - they are pursuing this development very aggressively at this point. The project is small enough that it will not need to go through a formal Environmental Assessment process and the developers are hopeful that they can begin construction next spring. There has been talks about trying to have some basic infrastructure in and usable for Christmas 2016, though that seems very ambitious.
it's hard to face the problem when the problem is your face
