VICTORIA – The Province has enabled the creation of Silver Star Mountain Resort Association, which will bring economic benefits to residents and businesses in the north Okanagan.

The proposal submitted by the Silver Star Marketing Task Force – a group of interested stakeholders, including individual property owners, businesses, hotels and the resort operator – met the legislative requirements under the Resort Association Act to establish a resort association:

• There will be a ski lift and year-round recreational area centre.
• The local government where the resort association is located, which is the Regional District of North Okanagan, agrees to the resort association.
• At least 50% of the landowners within the resort association boundaries, representing 50% of the property value, have signed a petition in favour of creating the resort association.

Silver Star Mountain Resort is a family ski resort in the north Okanagan and will be the fourth resort association in B.C. after Whistler, Sun Peaks and Red Mountain.

Resort use and development is a critical part of B.C. tourism and is a major economic driver, creating local jobs, while generating provincial revenue. Resort associations help promote, facilitate and encourage the development, maintenance and operation of resorts. Resort associations collect a fee from property owners within the designated resort area who use their property for rental, business or commercial purposes.

The next steps are for the Silver Star Marketing Task Force to register the resort association in B.C. with the registrar of companies and elect its first board of directors in order to begin operations.