Brent Harley and Associates Inc. The Resort Planning Group SSOOCCIIOO EECCOONNOOMMIICC OOPPPPOORRTTUUNNIITTYY SSTTUUDDYY FFOORR TTHHEE VVAALLEEMMOOUUNNTT AARREEAA Prepared for: Village of Valemount British Columbia March 2004 Prepared by: Brent Harley and Associates The Resort Planning Group In Association With: Western Management Consultants Design for YOUR Environment #4 -1005 Alpha Lake Rd. Whistler, BC Canada V0N 1B1 Tel: 604-932-7002 Fax: 604-938-1161 www.brentharley.com [email protected] Socio Economic Opportunity Study Valemount Area FINAL TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 2.0 VALEMOUNT AND AREA DEMOGRAPHICS .................................................... 2 2.1 POPULATION............................................................................................................. 3 2.2 LABOUR FORCE ........................................................................................................ 3 2.3 EARNINGS ................................................................................................................ 4 2.4 UNEMPLOYMENT ....................................................................................................... 4 2.5 HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................. 5 3.0 VALEMOUNT GROWTH PROSPECTS .............................................................. 5 3.1 FORESTRY................................................................................................................ 5 3.2 RESIDENTIAL GROWTH THROUGH AMENITY MIGRATION ............................................... 7 3.3 TOURISM .................................................................................................................. 8 3.4 RESORT DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................... 11 3.5 OTHER ECONOMIC PROSPECTS................................................................................ 13 3.6 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 14 4.0 CANOE MOUNTAIN RESORT DEVELOPMENT .............................................. 15 4.1 CAPITAL INVESTMENT ................................................................................................ 1 4.2 RESORT CONSTRUCTION LABOUR FORCE ................................................................... 2 4.3 HOUSING CONSTRUCTION.......................................................................................... 3 4.4 ANTICIPATED IMPACT................................................................................................. 6 4.5 TOTAL POPULATION INCREASE.................................................................................... 8 4.6 VISITATION ............................................................................................................... 9 4.7 CANOE MOUNTAIN VISITATION/POPULATION IMPACT .................................................. 10 4.8 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 11 5.0 TOURISM MARKET SEGMENTS AND TRENDS ............................................. 11 5.1 DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS........................................................................................... 12 5.1.1 Total Population Trends .............................................................................. 12 5.1.2 Demographic Shifts ..................................................................................... 12 5.1.3 Implications ................................................................................................. 13 5.2 ECONOMIC PROSPECTS........................................................................................... 14 5.2.1 Implications ................................................................................................. 14 5.3 OUTDOOR INTEREST SEGMENTS .............................................................................. 15 5.3.1 Outdoor Adventure ...................................................................................... 15 5.3.1.1 Soft Adventure Markets........................................................................ 15 5.3.1.2 Hard Adventure Markets ...................................................................... 16 5.4 HERITAGE INTEREST SEGMENTS .............................................................................. 16 5.5 TOURING MARKETS ................................................................................................. 17 5.5.1 Recreational Vehicles.................................................................................. 18 5.5.2 Fly/Drive ...................................................................................................... 19 5.5.3 Motorcoaches.............................................................................................. 20 Brent Harley & Associates Inc. Page ii The Resort Planning Group Socio Economic Opportunity Study Valemount Area FINAL 5.5.4 Van Touring................................................................................................. 20 5.5.5 Touring ........................................................................................................ 20 5.6 SNOWMOBILING SEGMENT ....................................................................................... 21 5.7 HELI AND SNOWCAT SKIING ..................................................................................... 23 5.8 LIFT ACCESSED DOWNHILL SKIING ........................................................................... 25 6.0 DESTINATION COMPETITIVENESS ASSESSMENT....................................... 27 6.1 COMPETITIVE SUPPLY ............................................................................................. 27 6.2 RELATIVE POSITION OF VALEMOUNT ......................................................................... 31 6.3 DESTINATION COMPETITIVENESS AND PLANNING ....................................................... 31 6.4 COMPETITIVE POSITION ........................................................................................... 32 7.0 SWOT ANALYSIS.............................................................................................. 32 7.1 VISION AND LEADERSHIP.......................................................................................... 33 7.1.1 Strengths..................................................................................................... 33 7.1.2 Weaknesses................................................................................................ 34 7.1.3 Opportunities ............................................................................................... 35 7.1.4 Threats ........................................................................................................ 36 7.1.5 Summary..................................................................................................... 37 7.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.......................................................................................... 37 7.2.1 Strengths..................................................................................................... 37 7.2.2 Weaknesses................................................................................................ 38 7.2.3 Opportunities ............................................................................................... 39 7.2.4 Threats ........................................................................................................ 40 7.2.5 Summary..................................................................................................... 40 7.3 QUALITY OF LIFE ..................................................................................................... 40 7.3.1 Strengths..................................................................................................... 40 7.3.2 Weaknesses................................................................................................ 41 7.3.3 Opportunities ............................................................................................... 41 7.3.4 Threats ........................................................................................................ 41 7.3.5 Summary..................................................................................................... 42 7.4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT....................................................................................... 42 7.4.1 Strengths..................................................................................................... 42 7.4.2 Weaknesses................................................................................................ 44 7.4.3 Opportunities ............................................................................................... 45 7.4.4 Threats ........................................................................................................ 45 7.4.5 Summary..................................................................................................... 46 8.0 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................. 47 Brent Harley & Associates Inc. Page iii The Resort Planning Group Socio Economic Opportunity Study Valemount Area FINAL 1.0 INTRODUCTION Valemount has been a significant gateway to British Columbia, continuously adapting to the