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Apex ending season early, Baldy Mountain Resort open for now

Click to play video: 'More B.C. mountain resorts suspend operations amid pandemic'
More B.C. mountain resorts suspend operations amid pandemic
Whistler Blackcomb isn't alone in temporarily shutting down due to COVID-19 concerns. As Jordan Armstrong reports, a North Shore ski hill and Okanagan resort are also suspending operations. – Mar 15, 2020

Tuesday will be the last day of the season for Apex Mountain Resort near Penticton.

The ski hill announced Tuesday morning it will cease operations at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, due to the “rapidly growing concern over COVID-19 and the spread of this pandemic.”

“[B.C. ski resorts] are banding together and doing what we can to try and lessen the curve of spread,” said James Shalman, the resort’s general manager.
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Shalman said Apex decided to remain open for a final day of skiing on Tuesday after a lengthy discussion because the resort had already told many people it would remain open.

“We are absolutely recommending spacial distancing. We are doing all sorts of measures for spatial distancing on the mountain. And skiing, you are outside, you are breathing fresh air and you are not in close proximity to other people,” Shalman said.

“But we definitely are wanting to band together and do our part to help slow down the spread of COVID.”

For the ski hill, Shalman said encouraging social distancing includes allowing people to ride up chairlifts alone if they’d like.

Meanwhile, reached Tuesday morning, Baldy Mountain Resort near Oliver, B.C., said it is currently open and monitoring the situation.

The resort said it has a meeting scheduled this morning and will provide an update later in the day on Tuesday.

Other Interior B.C. ski hills are closed.

Apex’s announcement that the resort is ending its season on Tuesday comes after other ski hills in the region have closed.

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Big White near Kelowna announced Monday it would end its season on Monday afternoon.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort also suspended operations on Monday afternoon.

Sun Peaks near Kamloops announced Monday the last day of the season would be Wednesday, March 18.

On Saturday night, SilverStar, near Vernon, announced it would be suspending operations for just over a week and would make a decision about the rest of the season during that time.

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