Employees will be paid and refunds will be made available

Whistler-Blackcomb will be closed through March 22, an extension of the closure is possible

Vail Resorts, the company that owns the popular tourist attraction, has closed all 37 of its North American locations

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — With spring break officially underway, Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort announced a one-week closure due to COVID-19 Saturday.

Vail Resorts, the company that owns the popular tourist attraction, has closed all 37 of its mountain locations in North America.

Whistler-Blackcomb will shut down between March 15 and 22. It is the only resort the company owns in Canada.

“This decision provides a pause for the entire ecosystem of our mountain resort communities. It gives everyone the time to assess the situation, respond to ever-changing developments, and evaluate the approach for the rest of season, if we believe it is advisable or feasible to re-open,” reads a statement from CEO Rob Katz.

Vail Resorts has made the difficult decision to suspend operations of all its North

American mountain resorts beginning March 15 through March 22. Please read this letter from our CEO Rob Katz. https://t.co/8082XVtCFr — VailResorts (@VailResorts) March 14, 2020

Guests who are currently at one of the resorts will be allowed to stay through the end of their reservation, but refunds are available.

“Many things like ski school, lift tickets, equipment rentals, and transportation can be fully refunded, and we have new credit policies in place for our owned and operated lodging properties. Please know that we will get to everyone and appreciate your patience as our most immediate priority must be the health and welfare of our resorts and communities.

Employees will not take a financial hit.

“All our scheduled employees, both seasonal and year-round, will be paid during this upcoming eight-day period, without needing to use any vacation or sick time.

The company will announce whether the closure will continue past March 22 on Friday.