Powder Matt Mosteller Elected Mayor of Kimberley
Powder Matt Mosteller has been elected Mayor of Kimberley, bringing a lifetime of powder skiing, mountain resort development and outdoor industry leadership into municipal politics.
Mosteller defeated longtime Kimberley councillor Sandra Roberts in the October 17 municipal election, receiving 1,927 votes to Roberts’ 1,599. The results were officially declared by the City of Kimberley on October 21.
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 entering politics, 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 also helped establish British Columbia’s Powder Highway as one of Canadian skiing’s most recognizable destination brands, connecting the region’s ski resorts, cat-skiing, heli-skiing, backcountry lodges and mountain towns.
Now, after decades of promoting the mountains and the communities surrounding them, Mosteller is taking on a different leadership role.
From the Powder Highway to Kimberley City Hall
Mosteller’s election brings an outdoor recreation and tourism industry perspective to Kimberley City Council at a time when mountain communities across British Columbia are navigating growth, housing pressures, infrastructure demands and economic diversification.
His experience extends beyond resort development and destination marketing.
Mosteller co-founded KORE Outdoors, the Kimberley-based outdoor industry organization supporting entrepreneurs and businesses making outdoor gear in the Kootenays.
KORE has helped connect more than 100 craft outdoor gear makers across the Powder Highway region, supporting an industry that creates opportunities beyond traditional tourism employment.
The concept is to build on the outdoor culture already established in mountain communities, creating businesses that design, manufacture, repair and market outdoor equipment while providing year-round employment.
During his election campaign, Mosteller emphasized economic diversification, support for artisans and small businesses, opportunities for younger residents and greater community involvement in decision-making.
His vision of “Smart Growth” seeks to balance economic opportunity with Kimberley’s outdoor lifestyle, cultural identity and the interests of its residents.
Following his election, Mosteller expressed appreciation for the community’s support and outlined plans to work collaboratively with the incoming council. His first priority is to establish common ground among councillors, identify shared community concerns and develop an action list to guide the new administration.
Getting Kids Outside Remains a Priority
There is another part of the Powder Matt philosophy that has remained consistent throughout his career: get outside.
Mosteller has long promoted outdoor activity, particularly for young people, and has supported initiatives encouraging children to become more active while addressing childhood obesity and the growing influence of digital devices.
The connection is personal. Mosteller credits an early introduction to skiing with changing the direction of his life and inspiring his lifelong passion for the mountains.
He believes the same opportunities should be available to future generations.
Mosteller previously told Powder Canada:
“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.
“Kimberley has an incredible opportunity to make recreation and the outdoors part of everyday life for people of all ages. Healthy people and a healthy place create a stronger community—and ultimately, a more thriving economy.”
— Matt “Powder Matt” Mosteller
Mountain Towns Are Changing
Across British Columbia, mountain towns are wrestling with how to accommodate growth while protecting the character, access to recreation and quality of life that distinguish them.
For Kimberley, Fernie, Rossland, Golden, Revelstoke and Nelson, outdoor recreation has become closely connected to housing, employment, economic development and community infrastructure.
The same mountains that attract skiers and visitors also draw entrepreneurs, skilled workers and families seeking a different way of life.
Mosteller’s election brings a career spent working within that mountain economy into the decisions facing municipal government.
His challenge now is to translate decades of experience in tourism, recreation and outdoor-industry development into policies that serve Kimberley’s wider community, including residents whose priorities extend well beyond the mountains.
A New Chapter for Powder Matt
Mosteller will lead a council that includes returning councillors Sue Cairns and Woody Maguire, along with Grant Farquhar, Angela Symes, Travis Fooks and Craig Janzen.
The new council will be sworn in on November 2 at the Kimberley Conference and Athlete Training Centre.
For Powder Matt, the path to City Hall began with a pair of skis.
Powder got him outside. A lifetime in the mountains turned that passion into a career spanning ski resort development, destination marketing and outdoor-industry entrepreneurship.
Now, as Kimberley’s newly elected mayor, he has an opportunity to apply that experience to the future of one of British Columbia’s established mountain towns.
Official election results are available through the City of Kimberley.
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