♦ Mergers

Kicking Horse Bought by Resorts of Canadian Rockies

BC's Kicking Horse Mountain Resort has been purchased by financier George Edwards, owner of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, and co-owner of the Calgary Flames.

Kicking Horse, located near Golden, BC, not far from the BC/Alberta border, was purchased from Dutch company Ballast Nedam for an undisclosed sum. RCR is now one of the largest private ski resort owner/operators in North America, with six ski areas in its portfolio, including Fernie, BC and Quebec's Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham.

"We are proud to be joining the RCR family of resorts. I'm confident there will be strong synergies across all resorts and opportunities for continued growth" says Steve Paccagnan, who will remain leading the resort forward under new ownership as President of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. 

“We are equally as excited to have Kicking Horse Mountain Resort become part of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies.  The addition of Kicking Horse brand to RCR adds another one of North Americas top destination resorts to our family of resorts” says John Shea, Chief Resorts Officer, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc.

Kicking Horse is reporting operations remain business as usual, with all existing ski packages, passes and joint agreements continuing to be honoured. The resort has had strong start to the season with more than 370 cm of snowfall season to date.

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is the first, four-season resort to open in the Rockies in over 25 years and is one of the only ski resorts in Canada that has had continuous growth in recent years.

The resort recently obtained Provincial approval of a 40 –year Master Plan which calls for a world class, destination mountain resort with an expanded controlled recreation area, 20,000 bed units, an 18-hole signature golf course, a multi-use trail system with two proposed lifts and 4,188 acres of skiable terrain.

The 2011-12 Season introduces the first phase of a softer side of the mountain including a new Learning Centre to accommodate families and beginner skiers, a new partnership with Brewster Travel Canada, WestJet Airlines, and Budget Rent A Car combined with a new Central Reservations powered by VacationRoost.

Photo courtesy of Kicking Horse.