Sustainability - Mount Washington Alpine Resort

Sustainability

We have a long history of being good stewards of the land on which we operate.

Mount Washington is committed to preserving and enhancing the natural resources that are at the core of what makes Mount Washington such a special place. We have a long history of being good stewards of the land on which we operate, but we wanted to take another step to help improve our environment.

SOME OF OUR INITIATIVES

As part of our commitment to sustainable operating practices, we are taking meaningful steps in a number of areas to reduce our environmental impact such as:

A Beer for a Great Cause

Dec 2023.

We have partnered with Vancouver Island Brewing who have produced a tasty "Marmot Dunkel" beer.

Proceeds from every beer sale will go towards supporting the recovery of the wild Vancouver Island Marmot population with our partners the Marmot Recovery Foundation!

Learn More

NEW Plant-based Menu in Ted's

Dec 2023.

Brand new for the 23-24 winter season is a dedicated plant-based menu in Ted's Bar and Grill! Featuring options such as cauliflower wings, impossible burger and more for those wishing to have a more sustainable choice in their diet.

 

For the full menu please click below:

FULL MENU

More Efficient Machinery

Nov 2023.

We have upgraded our snowcat fleet with two new tier-4 snowcats, replacing two tier-3 snowcats.

In addition one new tier-4 bus has replaced the old tier-3 bus.

EV Charging Stations

Nov 2023.

As well as the charging stations that have been in place since last year at the Hawk chair, our team have installed a dual port charger at Raven Lodge.

LED Installation

Nov 2023.

Our electrical team have successfully installed LED lights for the remainder of our operating Night Ski areas, including Coaster. 34 new lights were installed this year on 10 poles, moving from a 1000w metal halide to a 400w LED for an approximate 60% savings.


LED's are also being installed in the lift operations room for an approximate 60% savings.

Alpine Apiary

Sept 2023.

We are proud to partner with and host Smith Lake Farms in their alpine honey bee project, an experiment to see how well bees can thrive in the alpine environment here at Mount Washington.

A temporary apiary is currently in place below the Hawk Chair where the bees are enjoying an abundance of flowers to pollinate. We plan to host the apiary again in Summer 2024, alongside a wildflower garden with information describing the honey bee program and wildflowers on display.

The bees are protected by an electric fence in the chance a bear comes sniffing by.

Our commitment to the ENVIRONMENT

Our commitment to the
ENVIRONMENT

Mount Washington is committed to preserving and enhancing the natural resources that are at the core of what makes Mount Washington such a special place.  We have a long history of being good stewards of the land on which we operate, but we wanted to take another step to help improve our environment.  In the spring of 2019, Mount Washington and the other ski areas in the Pacific Group Resorts family created a company-wide Sustainability Program to foster environmentally sustainable business practices.

Sustainability - EcoValues - Environment

Eco Values Update | Spring 2021

Eco Values Update | Spring 2021

Catch up with members of the Mt. Washington Sustainability Committee on how we are putting our EcoValues into practice as a NSAA Sustainable Slope. As part of the Climate Challenge, we set a goal to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 10% over 6 years, and last year saved 3.8 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, putting us well on our way to accomplish that goal by 2025.

Watch the video here for more in-depth information.

 Watch Now
Water and resourses

Water Report | 2021

The following annual report describes the Mt. Washington Alpine Resort (MWAR) Water System and summarizes the water quality and production data from 2021. This report also includes a summary of any inquiries/complaints, repairs, completed maintenance, the Emergency Response Plan, treatment protocols, Cross Connection Control and water usages. It is a visual account of the utility’s continuous efforts toward achieving an above-average product for our customers through continued management, operation, evaluation, and maintenance of the water system. This report demonstrates that the utility is striving to meet or exceed all regulations and identifies potential areas of improvement in an effort to increase operational efficiency and consumer confidence.

A copy of this report has been submitted to the Island Health Authority and posted online here.
Download Report

No Plastic Water Bottles & Refill Stations



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Not selling single-use plastic water bottles. Reusable water bottles will be available for purchase. We've conveniently installed water bottle refill and drinking fountain stations throughout the resort.

Electric Transportation



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Electric Charging Stations: EV charging is now at Mount Washington! One Electric Charging Station is available at the Hawk Chair parking lot, located on the west wall of the First Aid Patrol building. And as of Nov 2023 there is a dual port charger at Raven Lodge. Guests are welcome to use this service on a first come, first charge basis. Please be courteous of your fellow EV drivers and only stay parked at the charging station as long as required to get yourself home.

LED Lighting Efficiencies



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Replacing all resort lighting to LED equivalents for approximately 60% energy savings, including an upgrade to our Night Ski lighting.

Automation Efficiencies



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We are working to automate all heat and lighting control systems around the resort to operate more efficiently, everything from our lodges to the lift shacks.

Reducing Volume of Cars on the Road



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Encouraging carpooling, increasing shuttle bus capacity for season pass holders and soon to come HOV priority parking lanes.

Questions? Contact us. sustainability@mountwashington.ca

These efforts are a portion of our Sustainability Program, and you may see some of them highlighted around the resort with a graphic icon noting them as part of our Eco Values.  Our Sustainability Committee, which is comprised of staff from a wide variety of departments, has researched these sustainability initiatives, and they have been implemented to make a positive difference. Recycling, changes in packaging, no-idling zones, more efficient lighting, implementation of efficient snowmaking equipment, and new lower energy alternatives are a few examples.

Another component of our commitment to sustainable practices is our participation in the National Ski Areas Association’s Climate Challenge.  Mount Washington and the other PGRI properties have joined the Climate Challenge which NSAA designed specifically for ski resorts to help them identify and measure areas where they can reduce their direct carbon footprint.  It is an industry-wide initiative of which we are proud to be a member.

We recognize Mount Washington is a very small part of a very large global issue. At the same time, we recognize no matter how big the challenge is, a good company should lead by example. We hope guests will join the Mount Washington team in making a positive impact while you are enjoying the spectacular outdoors.

mount washington alpine resort on vancouver island, BC
Mount Washington has received the digital badge for Sustainable Slopes - Climate Change Advocacy.

National Ski Areas Association
Sustainable Slopes

Mount Washington Alpine Resort ski area has received the digital badge for Sustainable Slopes - Climate Change Advocacy.

Climate Advocacy Certificate
Mount Washington has received the digital badge for Sustainable Slopes - Climate Action Advocacy.

National Ski Areas Association
Sustainable Slopes

Mount Washington Alpine Resort ski area has received the digital badge for Sustainable Slopes - Climate Change Action.

Climate Action Certificate

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