SilverStar ski season comes to a close

Apr 6, 2022 | 1:42 PM

Ski season has ended at SilverStar.

The resort had its last day on Sunday, April 3, after what is being described as a successful season.

To wrap up operations, the ski hill had a weekend filled with live music, a ski marathon, barbecues and more.

“It was a wonderful feeling to see things start to resemble normalcy again up here on the mountain,” said Chantelle Deacon, communications manager for SilverStar.

“Bringing back events was huge, and we really saw our community come together again.”

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SilverStar came back from a tough two years under the COVID-19 pandemic to launch new events, including the Sovereign2Silverstar Ski Marathon in partnership with Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, and attracted visitors from around the globe in the 21-22 season.

Speaking with Vernon Matters, Deacon said she could not provide any details on exact figures, but did state that operations significantly improved compared to previous years.

“We saw a lot more international travellers come back, which was really nice to see. Lots of our Australian [visitors] were able to make it back, [as well as] some of our Europeans,” said Deacon.

“It wasn’t quite back to normal though, so we’re really hoping that by next season, we have all of our international travellers back at the resort.”

She added that the mountain saw more locals than previous years as well.

“I think a lot more people, with having to stay around the Okanagan and B.C., decided to start skiing. So we definitely saw a lot of new pass holders this year, which was really cool.”

Deacon also noted that while there were improvements in visitors this year, they still did see a lull over Christmas.

“It was definitely a slower Christmas than we’ve almost ever seen in the past because of the floods and the highway closures and the restrictions on international travel,” said Deacon.

“So it was a really hard December for us, but January, February and March definitely made up for it with one of our busiest springs we’ve ever had up here.”

The resort also partnered with the Vernon Ski Club and the Freestyle Club to provide athletes with $5,000 to help with expenses at Nationals this past season.

SilverStar also launched some new initiatives through the Play Forever Fund. In March, a total of $8,000 was raised for the Arts Council of the North Okanagan through various events and community donations.

“We are thrilled to have the support from Play Forever this March for the Arts Fund. The money will go directly into valuable community initiatives that really make a difference,” said Gale Woodhouse, executive director, Arts Council of the North Okanagan.

“SilverStar has always held a special place in my heart and when we were approached with the donation, I knew it came from a compassionate and giving community. You are an inspiration, and you motivate us all to be better and do better and I thank you.”

That total was matched by the Play Forever Fund to support the Legacy Fund and the Joining Hands Program.

The Legacy Fund supports community art and culture events, while the Joining Hands Program assists and provides adults living with disabilities various opportunities to explore and develop their artistic abilities.

SilverStar’s serving staff also donated a portion of their tips from March to the Ukrainian Fundraiser. Staff contributed $3,000, and the Play Forever Fund matched that figure, bringing the total donation up to $6,000.

Along with these causes, the Play Forever Fund also supported non-profits like the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation, the Vernon Salvation Army Food Bank, Red Cross Relief, the Vernon Gymnastics Club, Air Rescue One and others throughout the winter season.

SilverStar is now preparing for the summer season with opening day tentatively set for June 24.

by Liam Verster

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