Ski hill makes offer to refund season passes

    It looks like residents who purchased ski passes for the 2010-2011 season won’t have to wait until next season to see if there will be skiing.     On Wednesday morning a press release dated February 4, signed by Zrinko Amerl of Badlands Ski Hill Ltd. announced there would be “refunds for ALL season passes sold in 2010/11; no passes will be carried over to next season.”
    “In just over a week, thanks to our legal team, we were provided the proper process and protocol to refund season passes to our clients” says Amerl. “We felt that our citizens should not be paying for the political decisions of this town and we will absorb this expense. Therefore in the shortest possible time we are making the commitment to refund the monies.”
    Hopes for a ski season this year collapsed when in January the Drumheller Valley Ski Club did not take the town’s offer of a short-term lease to operate the ski hill. This offer included paying an outstanding water bill, half the cost of replacing a water meter, pay upfront for this season’s water, provide proof of insurance and to remove a caveat.
    At the time, Amerl said ski passes purchased for the current year “will be fully honoured in 2011/12 season as it is common practice by ski hills in Canada and has been practiced by Drumheller Valley Ski Club in the past. On the other hand, if our negotiations fail, ski hill assets will be sold off and passes will be reimbursed in full.”
    In the press release dated February 4, he offers an apology for the frustrations of this year’s closure.
    For ski pass holders who want to request a refund, they are to go to www.skidrumheller.com. There is a link to a “Refund Request Form.” Pass holders are requested to continue to watch the website for the dates refunds will be issued at the ski hill.