An Okanagan Escape From the Pandemic
As Canada’s western-most province of British Columbia re-opens to local tourism, Sun Peaks Resort offers a great summer getaway
The Sun Peaks is a action-packed destination year-round
by Mark Sissons
“Do real bears live up here?” asks my partner’s wide-eyed five-year-old son on his first ride ever up a chairlift at Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops BC. Until now, the only bear Nayam has met is the stuffed one named Teddy that shares his bed.
“There sure are,” I reply, “but don’t worry. They’re deep in the woods looking for berries for their breakfast.”
We hop off the Sunburst chairlift on this cool, misty early July morning and set out to explore the wildflower blossom-dotted biking and hiking trails crisscrossing the slopes of what is in winter Canada’s second-largest ski resort. “Surrounded by all of this natural beauty, it makes you appreciate just how small and insignificant we humans are in the big scheme of things,” says Nayam’s mother, Anisha. I couldn’t agree more.
We are feeling especially insignificant in the face of the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging so many countries around the world. In British Columbia, our wise and prudent medical and community leaders have worked tirelessly to mitigate the virus’s spread, only gradually opening the province back to domestic travel. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Only a four-hour drive from Vancouver, Sun Peaks is an ideal quick getaway destination...one that offers a welcome dose of fresh mountain air and outdoor fun, something that many of us took for granted until this past March”
The author with his delegation at Sun Peaks
The perfect pandemic road trip
Only a four-hour drive from Vancouver, Sun Peaks is an ideal quick getaway destination. And as we discovered over the July 1st long weekend, one that offers a welcome dose of fresh mountain air and outdoor fun, something that many of us took for granted until this past March.
“Not all the usual summer activities are available, but we still have mountain biking and hiking and golf, plus our modified Sunday farmers’ market,” says Sun Peaks Tourism President and CEO Arlene Schieven over coffee at the Vertical Cafe just off the resorts Bavarian-style main pedestrian street. More than 70% of Sun Peak’s usual activities and attractions are open, other than the driving range and large concerts, which have been halted to avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
“People are feeling much safer in an outdoor environment,” says Arlene. “Even though we’re not expecting any international traffic this summer or next winter either, we should be ok compared to some destinations.”
While it’s true that nearly all of Sun Peaks’ hotels, shops and restaurants are once again open, hardly anyone has yet ventured to vacation here in one of the Okanagan’s most popular mountain playgrounds. We’re not complaining though. The extra space makes our brief holiday here feel both safer and peaceful – if not a bit spooky.
Man-made and natural beauty in every direction you look at Sun Peaks
Added precautions everywhere
Usually sold out on summer long weekends, the stately Sun Peaks Grand, where we stay, feels more like the deserted Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Walking down the long hallway to our room, I half expect to encounter the macabre Grady daughters who horrify little Danny Torrance in the movie. Luckily, Nayam is too young to get my reference to the sinister Redrum.
Like most BC hotels, the Sun Peaks Grand has followed strict re-opening guidelines provided by the provincial government’s health professionals, including a check-in process as contactless as possible, clear directional signage, sanitized luggage carts and plenty of hand sanitizer stations located throughout public areas.
The Sun Peaks Grand has also introduced the same advanced oxidation room cleaning process that many Canadian hospitals have implemented to kill microbes, reduce odours and gases, and sanitize soft surfaces. And while the usual room refresh and turn-down services are not offered during our stay to minimize contact with staff, anything we need is promptly delivered and left outside our door upon request. These and other health precautions are all part of the hospitality industry’s new normal, which is going to make all the difference as more British Columbians start to travel within our own province.
Quiet but not quitting
During a private Clydesdale horse-drawn carriage ride around the village that afternoon, we see how impacted Sun Peaks has been by the pandemic. The streets are nearly deserted, with relatively few cars, cyclists or pedestrians on the roads. Many of the resort's luxurious seasonal chalets also appear unoccupied.
“We went from operating at total capacity to total shutdown in 24 hours this March,” says Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality’s mayor, Al Raine, when we meet the next morning.
A legendary ski resort developer and husband of Canadian Olympic legend and retired senator Nancy Greene, Al Raine has been mayor here since 2010. “Australia and New Zealand is a huge market for us,” he explains. “Without a vaccine by next winter, our overseas market is probably gone.
Al tours me through the expansion of the Sun Peaks Centre. When completed, this multi-purpose facility will host up to 3,000 participants, enabling the community to host concerts, large sporting and recreational events, and trade shows from May to November. As Al points out, this an ambitious, 10-million-dollar investment into the future of this community is providing steady construction jobs for many locals struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck.
“Because of our location at the end of a road off the main highway, we have been impacted by COVID-19 more than many other resort communities in BC,” says Al. “But we’ll survive. And certainly three or four years from now, we’ll look back and say, wow, wasn’t’ COVID-19 one hell of a learning curve.”
There’s plenty of space at Sun Peaks to maintain physical distancing
IF YOU GO
Getting there
The drive from Vancouver to Sun Peaks takes about four and a half hours via the Coquihalla Connector. An alternative (and spectacularly scenic) route is via Whistler and Pemberton following the winding Duffy Lake Road. Air Canada and Westjet also offer daily flights from Vancouver to nearby Kamloops.
Where to stay
Boasting ski-to-door access, the Sun Peaks Grand Resort & Conference Centre is ideally located in the heart of the village, steps from the chairlifts and mountain bike park. The hotel is equipped with an outdoor heated swimming pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Where to eat
Most of Sun Peak’s restaurants and pubs are open again. Recommended options include:
• Masa’s Bar + Grill is centrally located in the Village Day Lodge and is a great place to stop for a quick lunch, après drink, or family dinner.
• Located in the Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Hotel & Suites,
• Cahilty Creek Kitchen & Taproom offers a range of craft beers, ciders and cocktails, and an extensive fine dining menu.
• Steps from the lifts, Mountain High Pizza serves up fresh takeout pizza by the slice or by the pie (including a delicious gluten-free crust), along with fresh salads and Aussie meat pies.
• Ohana Deli Market & Meals to Go offers Sun Peaks residents, guests and seasonal staff fresh, local produce, meats and premade meals to go using low waste, sustainable methods. Their food baskets are an excellent choice for healthy and safe in-room dining, especially breakfasts, during COVID-19.
Recommended activities
With most of the resort now re-opened, summer visitors to Sun Peaks have plenty of options. You can take guided alpine hiking tours conducted by Sun Peaks Sports School, play in the bike park featuring over 2,000 feet of lift-access vertical, or explore miles of cross-country mountain biking trails. You can also golf at challenging 18-hole par 72 Graham Cooke course that weaves alongside the village at the foothills of three ski mountains, explore nearby McGillivray Lake by canoe or kayak, or ride the Sunburst Chairlift for a mid-mountain alpine yoga class amid the wildflowers.
More info: sunpeaksresort.com
