Mt Timothy Project Review

The Mountain Resorts Branch (MRB) of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport (TACS), has received an application from Mount Timothy Recreation Resort, located northeast of Lac La Hache in the South Cariboo, to convert their existing Operating Agreement (OA) to a Master Development Agreement (MDA). This application is accompanied by a new draft Master Plan (2025) describing a long‑term vision to evolve into a four‑season regional recreation destination. The Mountain Resorts Branch is inviting the public, agencies, stakeholders, and First Nations to review the Draft Master Plan and submit comments or questions as part of the Provincial review process. Public comments are requested by March 18.

Mt Timothy Recreation Resort Master Plan

The Resort Master Plan is a guiding document that identifies the development components of the resort and assesses potential impacts while proposing mitigation and avoidance measures to address those impacts. Mt Timothy’s draft Master Plan proposes a multi‑phase progression that builds upon the resort’s existing offerings while expanding recreation opportunities throughout the year.

Highlights of the draft Mt Timothy Recreation Resort Master Plan include:

• Focus on continuing to offer a high-quality experience consistent with current resort offerings.
• Expansion of Controlled Recreation Area (CRA) to support increased resort offerings
• 4- seasons of use, balanced between summer and winter and including an expanded scope of activities such as lift assisted sightseeing, mountain biking, and hiking (to name a few).
• Winter activities will continue to focus on lift accessed downhill skiing and snowboarding as well as other winter sports.
• Future possible development will include enhanced guest services and retail space, increased guest and staff accommodations, and new housing options.
• Future infrastructure upgrades, lift re-alignments, and trail development, as required.
• Increased support for motorized sports already occurring in the area (snowmobiling and ATVing). 

 

Table 1. Summary of Key Changes

Current Ski Area/Facilities – Operating Agreement (OA) and 2009 Master Plan	Proposed Ski Area/Facilities – Master Development Agreement (MDA)
CRA = 331 Ha	CRA = 895 hectares (+564)
4 lifts servicing 32 trails	6 lifts (+2)
47 hectares of skiable terrain	Added ski terrain
Parking = 1300 spaces/day	Parking = 1,674 spaces/day (+374)
Existing Amenities and Lodging: Facilities include cafés, rental lodge, warming pavilion, mountain-top restaurant, rental cabins, day lodge, and future RV campground.	Additions: New adventure zones, trails, tubing, terrain parks, zip lines, and disc golf will enhance recreation; commercial accommodations, housing options.

(Link to full page version of map above)

 

Conversion of the existing Operating Agreement(OA) to a Master Development Agreement (MDA)

The MDA is the overarching tenure/agreement that governs resort operation and development on Crown land. The MDA provides the proponent with land-based rights to develop a resort as per the approved Resort Master Plan and establishes the form of tenure required for various recreation improvements (i.e., Land Act rights-of-way, leases, and licences). The MDA also includes a Land Act Licence of Occupation over the resort’s CRA, permitting the use and occupation of resort lands as well as the construction of ski trails, access routes and non-permanent recreational infrastructure. Table 2 provides a comparison between the OA and MDA.

 

Table 2. Comparison between an OA and MDA.

Comparison of Operating Agreement (OA) vs. Master Development Agreement (MDA)
Operating Agreements (OA)	Master Development Agreements (MDA)
Standard form of Agreement for community ski areas and resorts	Standard form of Agreement for regional and destination resorts
An OA is an agreement between the Province and the Developer that is issued under the authority of the Land Act or the Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing Act.	An MDA is an agreement between Province and the Developer that is issued under the authority of the Land Act and the Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing Act.
Allows for the placement of recreation infrastructure as per the Resort Master Plan through Land Act tenures	Allows for the placement of recreation infrastructure as per the Resort Master Plan through Land Act tenures
Establishes environmental standards and states conditions of development	Establishes environmental standards and states conditions of development
The standard term of an OA and for any OA-related tenures is 30 years. Application may be made to replace the OA at mid-term or thereafter	The standard term of an MDA and for any MDA-related tenures is 60 years.  Application may be made to replace the MDA at mid-term or thereafter
Does not typically allow for overnight accommodation, although some limited use may be permitted	Overnight accommodation is expected, but must be in balance with recreation infrastructure
Does not allow for fee simple land acquisition	Based on the installation of recreation infrastructure, fee simple lands may be granted for residential and commercial use in the base area.
The OA also acts as a licence of occupation under the Land Act to develop and construct access routes and improvements contemplated in the Resort Master Plan	The MDA also acts as a licence of occupation under the Land Act to develop and construct access routes and improvements contemplated in the Resort Master Plan

 

Project review will be guided by the All-Seasons Resort Policy and the decision will be made by the Mountain Resorts Branch.

The Mountain Resorts Branch is inviting the public, agencies, stakeholders, and First Nations to review the Draft Master Plan and submit comments or questions as part of the Provincial review process. Comments can be submitted through the Province’s Applications, Comments, and Reasons for Decision website (search file no. 5403379). Comments are requested by March 18, 2026.

 

Questions or comments may also be directed to: