Rossland’s free ride

The free Rossland-to-Red-Mountain-and-back shuttle service is making a difference

The free winter shuttle between Red Mountain Resort and downtown Rossland is a big hit with skiers and local businesses. — Photo courtesy Tourism Rossland

Imagine you live in England or Australia or Germany or even Vancouver, and you’re planning a ski vacation in British Columbia. In perusing the many relevant tourism websites, you come across a world-famous resort that offers free shuttle service from the local ski hill to the local downtown.

That would mean there’s no need for you to drive on unfamiliar, icy mountain highways, no need to deal with a frozen vehicle and no need to abstain from enjoying your favourite libation before you leave the hill.

Lovely little Rossland, home of Red Mountain Resort in B.C.’s West Kootenay region, debuted this free shuttle service in 2013, and shuttle users quickly designated it a critical priority in their choice to holiday in Rossland.

The shuttle service was the brainchild of Deanne Steven, the dynamic executive director of Tourism Rossland. After its first season, Steven analyzed the data collected from shuttle users, and the overwhelmingly positive results justify the continuation of the service.

Deanne Steven is the executive director of Tourism Rossland in Rossland, B.C. — Photo courtesy Deanne Steven

• It’s very well supported by corporate donations and matching funding from the Resort Municipality Initiative. Data reveal that a $2.00/ride fee would dramatically cut usage—and even if it didn’t, would be insufficient to keep the service running.
• It’s green. The carbon footprint from private vehicles would be 18 times greater than the footprint from the shuttle buses.
• Businesses benefit. Prior to 2013, access to Rossland’s winter amenities was nearly impossible for ski groups. Now, accommodators are happy to report that ski groups are an appreciable component of their guest lists.
• It benefits local skiers as well as visitors. Statistics showed that in the second year of shuttle service, about 75 per cent of the shuttle passengers were full-time or seasonal area residents. 
• It’s a sensible option. RCMP statistics reveal that during the 2011 to 2012 season, prior to the shuttle service, there were eight impaired driving charges in Rossland. In the first year of the service, that figure dropped to three, and in the next year there was only one. Coincidence? Likely not.

In an unrelated conversation, John Reed of Community Futures Development Corporation of Greater Trail, had high praise for Steven and her work.

“We have an exceptional destination marketing organization, led by a more exceptional individual in Deanne Steven,” Reed said. “She’s brilliant. She’s really, really, really smart and intuitive and aggressive, and she does a fantastic job.”

Snow sports enthusiasts in Rossland, local businesses and even the local police would likely agree.