Mike Wiegele cancels season

Mike Wiegele Heli Skiing has made the difficult decision to cancel the season following provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s Jan. 7 announcement that current provincial orders and recommendations will be extended until Feb. 5.

“We were hoping and planning to possibly host a limited number of Canadian guests this winter,” said Matic Vecko, General Manager. “But given the national and international travel advisories and, above all, our commitment to safety, we made the decision not to open for the remainder of the season. We’ve been keeping in touch with our staff throughout the summer on a regular basis, so this has not come as a surprise,” he said. “We all see what’s happening out there in the world.”

Wiegele’s was forced to shut its doors in March of last year however, was able to operate in a limited capacity over this summer, offering accommodation to domestic tourists and pipeline workers at two motels it owns and operates in Blue River.

“There’s a huge pent up demand that’s building up with people who are not able to travel this year,” said Vecko, “We’re lucky to have a very loyal guest base, around 70 to 80 % of our guests are returning guests. They come every year. We’re their ‘happy place,’ so to speak. This whole thing has been really, really impactful for our entire industry.”

Last year Mike Wiegele celebrated 50 years of heli skiing.