As B.C. health officials mandate that Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort close because of increasing COVID-19 cases, Sun Peaks Resort is making some changes ahead of its final week of operations.

The Kamloops-area resort is currently set to wind down its winter operations on Easter Monday next week.

However, staff say they are further reducing ticket quantities to discourage non-essential travel, while allowing locals to enjoy the last week of the season. Further, the Whistler Blackcomb reciprocal pass holder program has been suspended for the rest of the season.

“This news is all very new to the resort team, so we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these recent updates,” a statement from Sun Peaks Resort said. “Thank you to all guests and employees for helping us get to this point in the season – with your continued diligence we are hopeful for a successful last week of great spring skiing and riding.”

Resort staff also say all indoor dining will be closed as mandated by the B.C. Government.

The Sun Peaks Grand Hotel will honour existing reservations but it will not be taking any new bookings for the next week. People are being told to check directly with their hotels and restaurants to see if they’re making any more changes than what is required.

As it stands, all retail stores in Sun Peaks as well as rental shops and the Sports School will operate with existing COVID-19 protocols in place.

“We will continue to update [people] with any other information as required,” added the Resort statement.

While Sun Peaks has reported COVID-19 cases this season,  it has not been near the extent of places like Whistler or Big White.

Mayor Al Raine told NL News last month he thinks that is due to ‘good luck and good management’ at Sun Peaks.

Whistler Mayor ‘devastated’ by closure order

The Mayor of Whistler says the closure of his community’s ski resort is extremely devastating and saddening.

Jack Crompton says that the community has to focus on slowing the spread of COVID-19 by avoiding indoor gatherings with people from other households.

“The closure of the mountain will have many impacts within our community and will be very difficult following a year of ongoing restrictions associated with COVID-19,” Crompton said, in a statement.

“We are a resilient and resourceful community that will continue to work together as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. We need to double down on our commitment to all the measures that help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Whistler was a COVID-19 hot spot for much of the year. As of a March 4 update, Vancouver Coastal Health reported a total of 720 cases in the community since Jan. 1 of this year with transmission mostly happening in shared household settings among young adults.

A statement from Whistler Blackcomb’s Chief Operating Officer, Geoff Buchheister, says they’ve prioritized the health and safety of guests and employees throughout the season.

“Monday’s order from the Province of British Columbia to close Whistler Blackcomb came as a surprise and we respect the decision and are taking immediate steps to comply,” he said.

The resort will not resume its winter operations for the rest of the 2020-21 ski season even if the order that mandates the closure is lifted in three weeks as scheduled.

“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,” Buchheister added. “Our full attention will now turn to getting our resort ready to safely open for summer.”

Prior to Monday’s surprise closure announcement, Whistler Mountain, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, and the Creekside Gondola were scheduled to close on April 18. Blackcomb Mountain was slated to stay open for spring riding until May 24.

Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry says she is especially concerned by a cluster of cases in Whistler that involved a variant first identified in Brazil that appears more contagious and less responsive to vaccines.

“We found that it was very challenging for staff to manage groups of people later in the evening and that was what was leading to transmission,” Henry said. “We’ve also seen transmission from travel to and from other communities across B.C. from the Whistler area.”

Lift Tickets for this Saturday (April 3) are now sold out! To avoid disappointment, please don’t plan to join us for skiing on Saturday unless you have a season pass or you’ve already purchased tickets. No tickets will be available in Resort.#SunPeaks360 #ExploreKamloops pic.twitter.com/n1auLzrTdO

— Sun Peaks Resort (@SunPeaksResort) March 30, 2021