Standard The Hope
Office: 604.869.2421 www.hopestandard.com
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
news@hopestandard.com
TALENT COMPETITION AT HOPE SECONDARY Acts perform in front of judges April 2-5 in the school commons room
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NEWSPAPER COMING OUT ON THURSDAYS Office hours will change to accomodate new publication day
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BARRY STEWART / THE STANDARD
BOWLERS HEADED TO PROVINCIALS
Manning Park Resort will be closing indefinitely on April 1 due to financial hardship. The provincial park campgrounds will continue to operate along with the Lightning Lake day-use area, trails and backcountry areas. However, the ski areas, lodge, restaurant and pub will shut down.
Men’s team competing at 55+ championships May 15 in Cranbrook
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Manning Park Resort set to close
Kerrie-Ann Schoenit Hope Standard
Manning Park Resort is closing indefinitely on April 1 due to financial hardship. The Bowra Group took over management of the facility from Gibson Pass in 2009 when the resort went into receivership. Despite generating about $5 million in revenue annually, president David Bowra said the resort is no longer profitable, especially from April to June and October to December. “You can lose more money in those two shoulder seasons than you can make in the operating seasons,” he said. “It’s a challenging operation to
begin with. The resort is over 40 resort and liquidate the assets. Seasonally the resort employs years old. So every winter we spend a lot of money trying to repair the about 90 people in the winter and 80 in the summer. ski lifts and every Bowra said 15 to year it seems to 20 full-time emcost more money.” “Realistically without ployees will lose The Manning their jobs. Provincial Park the campground, it’s The Bowra campgrounds will very difficult to make a Group has spent continue to operbuck at that resort.” years searching ate along with the for a prospective Lightning Lake buyer. The inabilday-use area, David Bowra ity to package the trails and backcampground and country areas. resort operating However, the ski areas, lodge, restaurant and pub agreements is making it difficult will shut down on April 1. The to sell. Another challenge is the recompany will then winterize the sort’s somewhat remote location in
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a provincial park off Highway 3. Bowra said the campground agreement expires this year and the province is putting the contract out to public bid. The resort is halfway through a 50-year operating agreement with the province. “Realistically without the campground, it’s very difficult to make a buck at that resort,” he said. “I think it’s going to be uneconomical. However, we’re still hopeful that someone is going to come in and pick it up.” Bowra feels the resort could be viable with a hands-on family-run approach, but the buyer would have to spend significant capital on upgrades.
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