Fortress Mountain Resort
A Kananaskis Country ski area that opened in 1967 as Snowridge, closed around 2004, and now serves cat-skiing, climate research and film production.
- Region
- Alberta
- Country
- Canada
- Status
- closed
- Year opened
- 1967
- Year closed
- 2004
- Reason for closure
- Falling revenue and a steady decline in visitors - by the 2004-05 season the lifts were running only at weekends. A brief reopening in 2006 under Banff Rail Co. was stopped when the province ordered the resort not to sell passes until an unsafe bridge was repaired, and in 2007 the lease was revoked after years of financial trouble, safety problems and closures.
History
Fortress Mountain lies in Kananaskis Country in the Alberta Rockies, south-west of Calgary, and operated from 1967 until 2004. Guest numbers fell away steadily towards the end and by the 2004-05 season the lifts were turning only at weekends before the resort stopped altogether. Banff Rail Co. bought it and reopened briefly in 2006, but the province ordered a halt to pass sales until an unsafe bridge was fixed, and in 2007 the lease was revoked after years of financial difficulty, safety issues and repeated closures. The two T-bars have since been removed. The mountain never emptied entirely: KPOW Cat Skiing began operating on the mothballed slopes in 2011, and the snow record that made the area worth reviving has kept a succession of reopening plans alive. Fortress Mountain Holdings has published a master plan for a phased revival, with a first stage of five lifts, a new day lodge and supporting infrastructure, and public consultation on the resort future has continued. Trail names and the full historic lift inventory are not compiled in accessible sources.
Lifts
| Name | Type | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Bar | T-Bar | One of two T-bars; since removed | |
| Second T-Bar | T-Bar | Since removed | |
| Surface lifts | Surface lift | Various; removed after closure |
Sources and further reading
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Mountain_Resort
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Mountain_Resort
- https://www.theinertia.com/mountain/18-years-after-it-closed-fortress-mountain-is-a-fascinating-ghost-resort/
- https://snowbrains.com/master-plan-for-fortress-mountain-ab-revival-released-its-history-why-it-failed-and-why-it-could-now-be-successful/
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/fortress-mountain-ski-resort-kananaskis-country-alberta-calgary-1.5012022
More in Canada
Location
50.8200, -115.2000