Volunteer-run ski hill hit by thieves after season of setbacks

After a season plagued with poor weather and aging equipment, the Mount Timothy Ski Area is facing yet another setback thanks to equipment-stealing thieves.

The Cariboo ski hill, a non-profit run by a volunteer society, discovered the the theft in the day lodge last week. A number of rental snow boards, a snowmobile and an ATV were among the items taken.

"It's disheartening," said Michael Kidstonn, president of the Mount Timothy Ski Society.

The hill closed for the season earlier this month and the manager is not available, he said, making it difficult to sort out exactly what was taken. 

"We're dealing with volunteers and people who know the mountain generally but don't know the specific headcount of how many snowboards were in the racks at the time," he said.

"You hope that people would recognize that this is a facility that's been built and maintained by the community and it's an asset to the community," he added.

The theft is one more blow after a season of problems, he said.

"It's definitely another straw on the back," Kidstonn said. "There are enough straws on there that it's already carrying enough weight. We don't need anymore troubles."

Series of unfortunate events

Early in the season, lightning struck the chairlift and created technical problems that lasted two months.

Minimal snowfall in December delayed the opening of the hill and then too much snowfall during the last few months of the season made the roads difficult for skiers to travel up.  

The series of setbacks meant a significant loss of revenue for the hill — about $90,000 short of the $400,000 Mount Timothy usually brings in from ticket sales.

The society turned to local government last month, in the hopes of regular funding. 

"We continue to pursue our funding options and I suppose the other conversation is how do you declare bankruptcy," Kidstonn said.

100 Mile House RCMP are still investigating the theft.

With files from Daybreak Kamloops.