MT. WASHINGTON ANNOUNCES NEW GENERAL MANAGER

British Columbian with extensive ski and tourism experience joins the team this week

COMOX VALLEY, VANCOUVER ISLAND – Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. announced today Dean Prentice has been hired as the new General Manager of Mt. Washington Alpine Resort. Prentice was most recently General Manager of Painter’s Lodge and April Point Resort & Spa in Campbell River and on Quadra Island. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in interior British Columbia.

Vern Greco, CEO of Pacific Group Resorts, which acquired Mt. Washington Alpine Resort in 2015, indicated the search for a replacement for the retiring Peter Gibson was extensive. “We had over 50 viable applicants from across Canada and the U.S. The candidate pool was exceptionally strong, which is a reflection of the reputation Mt. Washington has in the industry. It was a nice coincidence the top candidate was from right here on Vancouver Island.”

Greco continued, “Ultimately, we felt Dean’s combination of ski resort and tourism experience provided the right blend of technical and analytical skills to go with his leadership qualities. Peter left some large shoes to fill, but we are excited about the prospects for Mt. Washington with the team we have in place and Dean at the helm.”

Prior to his position as COO of Fairmont Hot Springs, Prentice spent five years at Panorama Mountain Resort which at the time was part of Intrawest, an international ski resort company. Fairmont Hot Springs is a year round resort with golf, skiing, natural hot springs, and active children’s programs. Panorama is a ski area with a strong racing heritage, including hosting an FIS Women’s World Cup event in 2007 during Prentice’s tenure there.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to be the new GM at Mt. Washington,” Prentice noted. “In addition to the interviews with Pacific Group Resorts, I had a chance to meet with the senior leadership team at the mountain, and I was impressed by their experience, knowledge, and commitment to the resort and to each other. I think the talent is here to make the most of this resort as both a ski mountain and as a summer vacation spot.”

Prentice is currently on the board of directors of Tourism Vancouver Island, whose goal is to increase the economic contribution of tourism to the Region. Mt. Washington currently draws most of its guests from the Island during winter, and Prentice sees opportunities for attracting more summer visitors to the area as well as more skiers from the mainland.

“Mt. Washington is an exceptional place, and I have enjoyed skiing here as a guest with my family,” explained Prentice. “I think our opportunities to expand as a summer resort are quite good, and I am very pleased to be joining the group that’s already in place. Collectively, I believe we have the ability to take Mt. Washington to the next level in its evolution as a premier BC resort destination.”

ABOUT MOUNT WASHINGTON
Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located just 30 minutes from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and hosts over 300,000 visits per year. In the winter, guests enjoy five chairlifts and five carpet lifts accessing over 1,700 acres and 1,657 vertical feet of alpine terrain. The resort also has 55 kilometers of designated cross-country skiing and 25km of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge.

Summer activities at Mount Washington include lift-accessed mountain biking, a new quad bungie trampoline, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf, miniature golf, boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping and dining. The resort also plays host to over 40 weddings per year plus numerous group and corporate events.

Off-island visitors can reach the island via BC Ferries to Nanaimo and Victoria, or flights are available on WestJet, Air Canada, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines which provide air service to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or they can fly right into Comox Marina via Harbour Air. Additional air carriers serving the Victoria Airport (YYJ) include Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines out of Seattle.

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