An image from the village webcam, Thursday, March 21, 2019 at SilverStar Mountain Resort.
Image Credit: SilverStar Mountain Resort
March 16, 2020 - 8:00 AM
SilverStar employees are trying to figure out their next steps after being asked to find other accommodations and return home now that the mountain has closed due to COVID-19 concerns.
SilverStar Mountain Resort announced late Saturday, March 14, that the resort would shut down starting March 15, for at least a week. Its closure mirrored Whistler Blackcomb's announcement that it would cease operations.
“We’ve closed down mountain operations... and what we’ve done is (pay) our seasonal employees for an additional week after their last shift and what we suggest is, based on the world as it is right now and based on travel restricts and (since) we have a lot of international staff, that it’s best for them to make arrangements and get home,” said Ian Jenkins, director of sales, marketing and accommodation.
He said if staff need more time to make travel arrangements, SilverStar is willing to accommodate.
“We’re asking them to take the situation seriously and make alternative arrangements to get home,” he said. “We’re not going to leave anyone out in the cold, or homeless. We have other accommodation available, we were just saying in the large units we have, we want to get people dispersed and into other lodgings.”
"The suspension includes all lift operations, food and beverage, tube town, brewers pond, nordic operations and retail and rental services. Our lodging and property management facilities will remain open to service guests we have on site or those with existing reservations, but we will not be taking new reservations for the remainder of March," reads an announcement on the SilverStar site.
Sun Peaks Ski Resort and Big White Resort are still operating at this time, while taking extra precautions.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2020