The daytime and evening winter shuttle service is a go.
Tourism Rossland announced Friday that the free shuttle bus will run every 45 minutes (with a one-hour break in the afternoon) looping between downtown Rossland and the Red Mountain neighbourhood every day all winter.
A schedule and map will be published shortly.
Tourism Rossland executive director Deanne Steven the issue of bus service has been such an important initiative for all Rossland businesses.
She was overwhelmed with support from over 40 businesses and organizations with $43,000 of contributions from them.
The remaining funding for this project is coming from the Resort Municipality Initiative.
Although Rossland has not yet been confirmed in their quest to become a two per cent Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) community, Steven noted, Tourism Rossland felt “that it was important to go ahead with the project in the interim.”
In their regular meeting in early September city council voted unanimously to give Tourism Rossland $24,000 of funding for one year, but not before dividing and defeating the original request for two years.
Council only partially caught the bus by approving one year. However, that money initially created an internal daytime shuttle bus service from downtown Rossland to Red Mountain for the winter of 2013/14.
Subject to the confirmation that Rossland has become a two per cent community—meaning more approved accommodation rooms and greater provincial funding—council would approve the expenditure in principle of $42,000 per year on the internal day and, subsequently, evening time shuttle bus.
Approval on an amendment to the RMI's Resort Development Strategy (RDS) must be granted by the city, and subsequently the province, in order to release money to Tourism Rossland for an internal shuttle system from Rossland to Red Mountain.
The city needs over 450 rooms as approved accommodation by Destination B.C. to give it a two per cent share of the funding from the province, up from one per cent.
The extra money, around $42,000, would help fund the $78,000 service, said Steven.
Additionally there will be an on-demand shuttle service available from the contractor after 10 p.m. for a small fee. Full details will be released shortly.
Tourism Rossland would like to thank the following businesses and organizations who graciously contributed to this service:
- Alpine Drug Store
- Alpine Grind Coffee House
- Bear Country Kitchen
- Big Red Cats
- Butch Boutry Ski Store
- Canadian Ski Quest
- Casa Alpina
- Clansey’s
- Ferraro Foods
- Flying Steamshovel Pub and Inn
- Gabriella’s Caffe
- Gabriellas
- Gold Town Dining
- Idgies
- ISL Engineering
- Jodie Ouimet
- Legacy Giftroom and Brewshop
- Mountain Nugget Chocolate Company
- Mountain Town Properties
- Nelson and District Credit Union
- Out of the Cellar
- Powderhound Sports
- Prestige Mountain Resort
- Rams Head Inn
- Red Barn Lodge
- Red Mountain Academies
- Red Mountain Resort
- Red Mountain Lodging
- Red Mountain Village
- Red Shutter Inn
- Rock Cut Pub
- Rossland Art Gallery
- Rossland Beer Company
- Rossland Chamber of Commerce
- Rossland Fine Wines
- Rossland Legion
- Rossland Motel
- Rossland Museum
- RossVegas
- Seven Summits Service
- Tails Pet Supplies
- The General Store
- The Red Pair Shoe Store