Powder Matt Runs for Kimberley Mayor

“Powder Matt” Mosteller has spent much of his life chasing powder skiing, promoting mountain towns and arguing that getting outside makes people—and communities—healthier. Now he’s running to become Mayor of Kimberley.

Mosteller is one of two candidates seeking the mayor’s chair in Kimberley’s 2026 municipal election, alongside Sandra Roberts. General voting takes place October 17.

For skiers across Western Canada, Matt Mosteller is better known simply as Powder Matt.

He’s a lifelong ski bum, outdoor writer and longtime senior executive with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies. Years before running for office, Mosteller was involved with major redevelopment projects at Kimberley Alpine Resort and Fernie Alpine Resort, including new lifts, expanded terrain and the development of ski-in/ski-out villages.

He has also spent years helping tell the story of British Columbia’s Powder Highway, connecting the region’s ski resorts, cat-skiing, heli-skiing, backcountry lodges and mountain towns under one of Canadian skiing’s most recognizable destination brands. Powder magazine describes him as a lifelong ski bum and outdoor adventurer who has played a role in bringing the Powder Highway brand to life.

That background matters in Kimberley because the outdoors are not simply something residents do on weekends.

Skiing, biking, hiking, Nordic skiing, climbing, paddling and trails are part of what makes Kimberley a mountain town—and increasingly part of what attracts people, businesses and investment to communities throughout the Kootenays.

Mosteller has taken that connection between recreation and economic development beyond tourism.

He co-founded KORE Outdoors, the Kimberley-based outdoor industry organization supporting entrepreneurs and businesses making outdoor gear in the Kootenays. KORE now describes a network of more than 100 craft outdoor gear makers along the Powder Highway, while bringing the outdoor industry together through its summit and other initiatives.

The idea is straightforward: mountain towns don’t only have to sell the outdoor experience. They can also become places where outdoor products are designed, built, repaired and marketed—and where the people creating those businesses actually want to live.

In his candidate submission to the City of Kimberley, Mosteller describes a vision of “Smart Growth” that seeks to balance economic opportunity with Kimberley’s outdoor lifestyle and cultural identity. His submitted profile points to economic development, tourism, outdoor-industry entrepreneurship, public health and resident participation as elements of that approach. The City notes that candidate profiles are submitted by candidates and are not City endorsements.

Get Kids Outside

There is another part of the Powder Matt philosophy that will be familiar to people who have followed him over the years: get outside.

Mosteller has long promoted outdoor activity, particularly for young people. Kimberley Alpine Resort has previously described him as someone focused on fighting childhood obesity and encouraging people to spend more time outdoors.

Mosteller says that remains part of how he sees Kimberley’s future:

“Even if getting outside isn’t a big part of your own life, think about our youth and the positive impact we can create for them. Helping kids put down their devices and spend more time outside supports better mental and physical health, builds confidence and connection, and can help them become more creative and productive at school.

— Matt “Powder Matt” Mosteller

Mountain Towns Are Changing

Across British Columbia, mountain towns are wrestling with growth, housing, infrastructure, tourism, economic diversification and the challenge of maintaining the lifestyle and character that attracted people in the first place.

For places like Kimberley, Fernie, Rossland, Golden, Revelstoke and Nelson, outdoor recreation increasingly connects many of those conversations.

Trails aren’t just for tourists. Ski hills aren’t just winter attractions. Outdoor recreation isn’t simply entertainment.

These are part of the infrastructure that helps mountain communities attract residents, entrepreneurs and skilled workers—and gives people another reason to stay.

Mosteller’s candidacy brings that outdoor-industry perspective directly into Kimberley’s 2026 election.

For Powder Matt, it comes from a pretty simple place.

Powder got him outside. A lifetime in the mountains turned that passion into a career. Now he wants to bring that experience into the conversation about where Kimberley goes next.

Editor