Province seeks new operator for B.C. ski hill while suing previous resort owner over fire insurance claim
Tabor Mountain near Prince George was training ground for Olympic medalist Meryeta O'Dine
The province of British Columbia is seeking someone to run a Prince George-area ski hill at the same time it is embroiled in a legal conflict with the previous operator.
The Tabor Mountain ski area hasn't reopened since a fire burned its lodge in 2018. Now, the province is seeking an expression of interest for someone to take over operations of the hill, which once hosted a national competition and future Olympians. It is also suing the previous ski area operator, claiming it improperly claimed and spent insurance money from the fire.
The expression of interest was posted by B.C.'s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport in December, advertising the opportunity for the hill located approximately 20 kilometres east of Prince George and encompassing about 1.35 square kilometres of terrain.
Among those to use the hill is two-time Olympic medallist Meryeta O'Dine, who grew up practising there before joining international competition with Team Canada.
The small ski area opened in 1967 and acted as a recreation and training ground for local athletes until its day lodge was destroyed in a fire in January 2018.
"Since this time, the ski area has not operated and has been substantially dormant," the request reads. "There is currently a security presence onsite, and unauthorized access will not be permitted."
The hill still has several resources on site, the request says, including a workshop/maintenance building, a chairlift and a T-bar, though it adds that "the province is unable to provide detailed information about the condition and maintenance of these assets."
Though Prince George has a small community ski hill in the city, Tourism Prince George CEO Colin Carson said the absence of a larger downhill run nearby has been something felt over the past seven years, particularly when it comes to hosting competitive events.
Tabor Mountain was a venue for the 2015 Canada Winter Games and having it reopen would help the city attract more national and even international competitions, he said.
"There's a gap there that Tabor can fill," Carson said, noting that prior to the fire the hill's operator had built a strong course for ski and snowboard cross events that would likely bring in more events.
Legal action against previous operator
At the same time, the province is seeking a new operator for the ski area, it is involved in legal action against a previous manager.
A lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court by the province alleges that Fernand Wilfred Thibault claimed and used insurance money from the 2018 fire that rightfully belonged to the province.
The lawsuit states that the corporate entity known as Tabor Mountain Ski Resort Ltd. (TMSR), incorporated in 1994, had in the year 2000 entered into an agreement with the province to "operate a recreational alpine ski facility on lands owned by the Province."
The terms of the agreement, the lawsuit alleges, meant that the province was the owner of "all existing and future fixed improvements" within the ski area and that the province was to have been a beneficiary of any insurance policies claimed by the resort.
The lawsuit claims that in the aftermath of the fire, Thibault — who was the sole director and shareholder of TMSR at the time — had improperly failed to include the province on insurance papers and failed to include it when making claims due to losses from the fire, and alleged that this fact was "wilfully concealed" from the province.
In all, it says, nearly $1 million was paid out and that rather than use the money to repair or replace the damaged ski lodge, Thibault "applied and/or directed the Insurance Process to other, improper uses," including the purchase of properties in other communities.
In their legal response, Thibault said that at no point since he became a director of the corporation had he been informed that the province was to be considered a beneficiary of buildings or improvements made to the ski resort, and claimed that the province had been made aware of his pursuit and use of insurance claims following the fire.
He said that previous shareholders in the corporation had indicated to him that it was TMSR, and not the province, that owned the ski lodge, and that fact had been recorded on financial statements over the course of multiple decades. His court response says the province did not inform him otherwise until September 2023.
The response also states that TMSR received $809,633 in insurance money, but it was "insufficient" to reconstruct the ski lodge.
Instead, according to the response, Thibault, "with the consent and active encouragement" of the province, started searching for other organizations to help Tabor become operational again, which included creating a new "master plan" document for the eventual expansion of the ski area.
Posts to the resort's Facebook page from 2021 indicate that it had both drafted and submitted a "master plan" document and invited members of the public to a feedback session on the plan.
The response argues that the province was aware of all of these actions and should have taken action sooner if it had concerns.
A decision in the lawsuit has not been made.
The province's invitation for proposals notes that while an operating agreement for the hill "may be the eventual result," its immediate plan is to find someone who can come up with a plan for getting the hill running again, with provincial approval.
In response to a request from CBC News, the ministry said it doesn't expect the lawsuit to affect its ability to move forward with a plan for reopening a ski run at Tabor Mountain.
Tabor Mountain continues to host other recreational venues, including cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and mountain biking through the non-profit Tabor Mountain Recreation Society and the provincially-run Recreation Sites and Trails B.C.