Whistler Blackcomb ski resort has announced it will not reopen for the winter season when the COVID-19 provincial health order is scheduled to lift on April 19.
Whistler Mountain was already scheduled to close on April 19 and officials said they believe the best thing to do is to begin winding down winter operations.
“We did not make this decision lightly as we know our employees and our community put so much effort into following our COVID operating guidelines so we could safely operate this season. Our full attention will now turn to getting our resort ready to safely open for summer,” Geoff Buchheister, vice-president and chief operating officer of Whistler Blackcomb, said.
The organization said all lift reservations, ski school and dining bookings made during this period will be cancelled and the resort will be communicating any refunds to guests.
Summer operations on the mountain are scheduled to open on May 21.
In the last two weeks, Vancouver Coastal Health said it has recorded an increase in people testing positive for COVID-19.
From March 22 to March 28, VCH said there were 218 new cases of the virus. From the beginning of the year to March 28, there have been 1,120 recorded cases of the virus in the mountain community.
VCH said 900 people have recovered while the majority of cases continue to be identified in young adults aged 20 to 39 who live and work in the community.