Intrawest To Add Casino In Tremblant

Vancouver based Intrawest, owners of Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada recently announced plans to add a casino to its ever expanding range of activities, along with a new gondola to link two resort bases.

The resort states that the new Loto-Québec casino at Versant Soleil site will.
… undoubtedly create a great deal of interest among Tremblant’s international clientele and will add to the resort’s world-class reputation. The Loto-Québec project, which builds on Tremblant’s other attractions, will be advantageous to the Versant Soleil development program.“

We are very enthusiastic because it adds a huge selling point for attracting the interest of both tourist and corporate clients in selecting Tremblant as their vacation destination,”

says Charles Massicotte, Station Mont Tremblant’s president and chief operating officer. “The casino will benefit from our client population, 65 per cent of whom come from outside Quebec. The establishment of the casino, in combination with the other Versant Soleil projects, clearly demonstrates our determination to make Tremblant an international-class, four-season resort. The record season we have just experienced shows that Tremblant is a first-choice tourist destination for visitors from both Quebec and further afield.”
The development plan for Intrawest’s Station Mont Tremblant anticipates investments in the order of $1 billion, which makes it one of the largest tourist projects currently underway in North America. The resort aims to attract four million visitors annually, possibly the highest number for any mountain resort in the world.

The Loto-Québec announcement comes as Versant Soleil continues to take shape in line with the master plan, and the various projects are progressing on target. Last June an initial real estate project, the Étoile du Matin, welcomed the owners of these homes at the base of the slopes. The roads, gas pipelines, water mains and communication infrastructure are now 85 per cent in place and Mont Tremblant Resort has now invested $34-million in development of the new village. Ownership of the infrastructure projects will be transferred to the Town of Mont-Tremblant when development of Versant Soleil is complete.

Work on the new gondola, which will link the Versant Sud village to Versant Soleil base and the new Casino de Mont-Tremblant, continues. This $7-million project marks a new stage in the achievement of the Tremblant project, as it connects the resort’s two hubs via a new mode of transportation that’s as ecological as it is panoramic. As anticipated, the opening of the new gondola will coincide with the opening of the casino in summer 2009. Installation of the towers began in the autumn of 2008 and the next step will be construction of the loading stations at each end.

From December 2008, skiers and snowboarders will be able to enjoy a completely new beginner-level trail linking the top of the mountain to the Versant Soleil base. Built at a cost of $3 million, and 4.6 kilometres long, the trail will provide much easier access to the Versant Soleil for every level of skier. Until now, this area could only be accessed via intermediate to expert trails.