Sun Peaks Resort facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sun Peaks Resort
Location	British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city	Kamloops, 56 km (35 mi)
Coordinates	50°53′38″N 119°53′35″W / 50.89389°N 119.89306°W / 50.89389; -119.89306
Vertical	882 m (2,894 ft)
Top elevation	2,152 m (7,060 ft)
Base elevation	1,255 m (4,117 ft)
Skiable area	4,270 acres (1,730 ha)
Runs	137 including 17 gladed areas 10% beginner 58% intermediate 32% expert
Longest run	8 km (5.0 mi)
Lift system	13 total 3 detachable quads 4 quads 6 surface lifts
Lift capacity	12,000 riders per hour
Snowfall	559 cm (220 in)

Sun Peaks Resort is a super fun ski resort in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada. It's about 56 km (35 mi) northeast of Kamloops.

This resort is a great place for skiing and snowboarding. The highest point you can ski from is about 2,080 m (6,820 ft) up. That's a huge drop of 881 m (2,890 ft) from the top to the bottom! Sun Peaks has a massive 16 square kilometres (6.2 sq mi) of ski trails, making it the second largest ski area in Canada. It gets about 5.6 m (18 ft) of snow every year, which is perfect for winter sports. Plus, it's called Sun Peaks for a reason – it gets over 2000 hours of sunshine each year!

The resort has 13 ski lifts that can carry 13,400 people up the mountain every hour. The longest lift ride is on the Burfield chair, which takes about 23 minutes. There are 137 ski runs, including 16 areas with trees you can ski through (called gladed areas). If you like cross-country skiing, there are also 40 km (25 mi) of trails. Sun Peaks is made up of three mountains: Tod Mountain, Sundance Mountain, and Mt. Morrisey.

History of Sun Peaks Resort

Sun Peaks Resort was built on the traditional lands of the Secwepemc people. It's important to know that the resort was built without their full agreement or input.

How Tod Mountain Resort Started

Back in 1958, two ski lovers, Donald Whyte and Donald Munro, had an idea. They lived in Kamloops and often drove to Silver Star to ski. They noticed the beautiful Tod Mountain nearby and thought it would be a perfect spot for a new ski resort.

On May 9, 1959, they visited Whitecroft Village at the base of Tod Mountain. A week later, they returned with a lawyer, a ski resort operator, and a doctor. They rented horses and rode up the mountain. After an hour and a half, they reached a spot now called the West Bowl. They spent two nights in a small cabin. Then, they continued to the very top of Tod Mountain, which is now known as the Top of the World. From there, they saw the Crystal Bowl, which looked perfect for a ski lift and resort.

On May 29, 1959, they officially started two companies: Tod Mountain Ski Resort Ltd. and Tod Mountain Ski Village Ltd. In early 1961, they began building the first chairlift, called the Tod Mountain Ski Lift (now known as the Burfield chair). It was built in Vancouver. Local companies helped clear the ski runs and build the lift stations. Donald Munro became the President of the resort companies.

The Tod Mountain ski resort officially opened on November 18, 1961. The first chairlift could carry two people at a time and was powered by a diesel engine. It was 9,300 feet long and could carry 400 people per hour. At that time, it was the longest chairlift in North America! They had five ski runs ready: Crystal Bowl, Ridge, 5 Mile, Chief, and part of what is now 7 Mile Road.

Resort Closed for Repairs (1968-1970)

In July 1968, a fire broke out at the top of the Tod Mountain Ski Lift. A spark from welding caused the building to catch fire. This fire damaged the lift, causing the cable to fall. Because of the damage and insurance issues, the resort had to close. It didn't reopen until the 1970-1971 ski season.

Remembering Harry Burfield

On June 12, 1971, a sad accident happened. Harry Burfield, a well-known ski racer and a key person in starting Tod Mountain, was on a sightseeing flight. He was showing the mountain to a potential investor. The small plane crashed on the northwest side of Tod Mountain, and everyone on board died.

To honor Harry Burfield, a ski run near the crash site was named "Harry's Run." The lodge he ran and the main chairlift were also renamed the Burfield Lodge and the Burfield Chair.

Adding the Shuswap Chairlift

In the summer of 1972, after a lot of planning, the Shuswap Chairlift was built. It was also a two-person chairlift. Its base was near where the Sun Peaks Alpine Club building is today. New runs like Cariboo and Cahilty were created. This new chairlift opened for the 1972-73 ski season. This was an important step, as it started the resort's expansion towards the east, where the main village and lifts are now.

Changes in Ownership and Growth

Over the years, the resort faced some financial challenges and changed owners a few times. In 1974, Peter Pocklington, who owned the Edmonton Oilers hockey team, bought a share of the resort. This gave people hope, but he couldn't invest as much as needed. The resort even had to close for two seasons (1976-77 and 1977-78) due to low snow and financial issues.

In 1978, a group of business people from Calgary bought the resort. They renamed it Tod Mountain Developments Ltd.

New Plans and Events

In 1979, the new owners announced big plans! They wanted to invest $10 million to add an 18-hole golf course, a large village, tennis courts, and a new warming lodge. Most importantly, they planned a brand new chairlift. That summer, the Crystal Chairlift was installed. This new three-person lift opened for the 1979-80 ski season.

In the 1980s, Tod Mountain became a popular spot for ski competitions. From 1980 to 1984, it was a regular stop for the Pacific Western Airlines Pro Ski Tour. Masters races also started being held there in 1986. The "Velocity Challenge" was a cool event where skiers would go super fast down the Headwalls run, reaching speeds of up to 175 km/h (109 mph)! These events helped the resort become more famous and stay open.

During the 1980s, the area around the Shuswap Chair became the main hub of the resort. A restaurant, rental shop, and ski school moved there. Many new ski runs were cut, and more were planned.

On December 24, 1989, a fire broke out in the Crystal Chairlift's engine room. But thanks to the hard work of the lift team, the Crystal Chair was running again by February 1990.

New Owners and Renaming to Sun Peaks

By the end of the 1989-90 season, Tod Mountain Developments Ltd. was for sale again. In April 1992, a Japanese company called Nippon Cable bought the resort. They decided to rename it because "Tod" means "Death" in German, which isn't a great name for a fun ski resort! They held a contest, and over 2000 ideas were submitted. On August 13, 1993, the new name was announced: Sun Peaks Resort.

In the summer of 1993, two new chairlifts were installed: the Sunburst Express (a fast, detachable lift) and the Sundance Chair. These opened up lots of new skiing areas. In 1995, the Sundance Chair was made even faster. They also added the Village Platter and Magic Carpet lifts, which are great for beginners. The old Lower Exhibition T-bar was moved to the West Bowl, opening up more terrain. In 1997, the old Burfield double chair was replaced with a faster quad lift. Plans for a big alpine village also began.

Sun Peaks worked hard to become a "family resort for all ages." They built many facilities for beginners. The ski area grew a lot, especially with the opening of Mount Morrisey in 2002. This added many new runs and chances for more growth.

In 1999, they started building trails for a huge network of summer bike paths. Today, the Sun Peaks Bike Park is serviced by the Sunburst Chair (which carries bikes in the summer). It has nearly 2,500 feet of vertical drop and trails for all skill levels. Sun Peaks Bike Park hosts big mountain biking events.

Since the late 1990s, Sun Peaks has also built a huge network of cross-country ski trails, stretching nearly 37 km (23 mi) around the resort. They also completed a beautiful 18-hole golf course in 2005. All these additions, including the ski-in village, were built under the guidance of Nippon Cable.

In 2006, the Elevation Quad Chairlift was completed. It opened up a brand-new race center. The Austrian National Ski Team even signed a five-year deal in 2005 to train at Sun Peaks for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver!

In 2014, an area called Gil's, which used to be outside the resort boundaries, was added to the skiable area.

In the summer of 2020, the 41-year-old Crystal chairlift was replaced with a new, faster Crystal Quad. This new lift can carry 20% more people uphill and gives easier access to the Top Of The World.

The Burfield chair is still special! It's the longest fixed-grip chairlift in North America, stretching 9,510 ft (2,900 m).

Nancy Greene Raine, a famous Canadian skier, is the Director of Skiing at Sun Peaks Resort.

Other Fun Things to Do

Sun Peaks golf course at sunset

Sun Peaks Mountain Bike Park

When there's no snow, Sun Peaks turns into a downhill mountain bike park! The Sunburst Express chairlift takes riders and their bikes up the mountain. You can ride down over 2,000 feet of vertical terrain on exciting trails.

Golf Course

Sun Peaks has a beautiful 18-hole golf course. It's the highest golf course in British Columbia, located over 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level. Imagine playing golf with amazing mountain views!

Tubing

In 2003, Sun Peaks opened "Tube Time." This is a fun area where you can slide down the snow on inflatable tubes! It's a great activity for families and friends.

Banked Slalom

In 2016, a special permanent banked slalom course was built. It's a cool course with turns that are banked like a race track, making for a thrilling ride.

Sun Peaks snow ghosts

Ski Lifts at Sun Peaks

Sun Peaks has 12 ski lifts, all made by Doppelmayr, a well-known company. These lifts help you explore all three mountains: Tod, Sundance, and Morrisey.

Here are some of the older ski lifts that have been replaced or moved:

• Original Crystal - triple chairlift - 1979-2020 - Tod Mountain (replaced by the new Crystal)
• Original Burfield - double chairlift - 1961-1997 - Tod Mountain (replaced by the current Burfield)
• Shuswap - double chairlift - 1972-1993 - Tod Mountain (replaced by Sunburst Express)
• Original Sundance - fixed grip quad - 1993-1995 - Sundance Mountain (replaced by Sundance Express)
• Broadway T-Bar - 1979-1993 - Tod Mountain (moved to West Bowl)

Downhill Ski Trails

Sun Peaks has a wide variety of ski trails for all skill levels. They are usually marked with colors: Green for easy, Blue for medium, Black for difficult, and Double Black for very difficult.

Images for kids

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  Covered bridge in Sun Peaks

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  Sun Peaks downtown in autumn

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  Sun Peaks downtown

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  Tod Mountain lifts