BC Parks Ski Resort Policy (2015)

Cypress, E.C. Manning and Mount Seymour Parks are all Class A provincial parks that include major Ski Resorts within their boundaries. Class A parks are dedicated to the preservation of their natural environments for the inspiration, use and enjoyment of the public. A Class A park is Crown land designated under the Park Act or by the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act whose management and development are governed by the Park Act. Consistent with the Park Act, park use permits for the three Ski Resorts were issued to preserve and maintain the recreational values of these parks, which included alpine skiing and other forms of intensive public recreation.
BC Parks manages Class A parks using direction from Park Management Plans. Park Management Plans take into account existing recreational uses and existing rights, as well as intended land use within each park. Decisions on Park Management Plan direction recognize the values already existing within the park, or that may be developed in the future.
This policy was developed to provide direction for administration and operation of these three existing Ski Resorts, which are Cypress Mountain Resort, located within Cypress Park; Manning Park Resort, located within E.C. Manning Park; and Mt. Seymour Resorts, within Mount Seymour Park. The policy incorporates recommendations from the Report of the Cypress Park Special Planning Commission (‘Williams Report’) of 1995, and considers recommendations from the Legacy Project Panel (1998), both of which were developed following extensive public consultation. All of the recommendations from the Williams Report were adopted by the Province, and the development of a policy for ski operations within a park, which considers direction from policy for ski resorts on Crown lands, fulfills one of the commitments in the Report.