I think the official version would have the ski operations as a separate business unit within Intrawest than say retail sales – thus it is hard to define who makes money and who doesn’t (when comparing resorts)

However, I think, if you combine all of Intrawests assets located within Whistler into a single business unit – it would be profitable.

WB has a LOT (maybe the most) skier visits each year, and if WB can’t run at a profit – than what ski resort can?

In the end, WB will continue to operate regardless of what happens in the courts, the only question in my mind is whether it will be allowed to prosper from it’s revenue, or it will it continue to feed them into a bigger pool.

IF for some reason it doesn’t continue to operate, then you will find me at the nearest Skidoo retailer buying my new ‘lift’ to access Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/01/20/intrawest-whistler-olympics.html

I don’t have enough personal knowledge to say if WB is financially viable, ‘on it’s own’, despite being the flagship resort and I wonder how well Intrawest have compartmentalized their business, for example do the ski shops, restaurants etc in Whistler that are ‘owned’ by Intrawest fall into the WB pot, or are they aseparate, presumably profit making enterprise?

Without property to develop and sell, it is hard to see any ski resort operation being viable just on lift sales alone. Revelstoke’s current situation comes to mind.

Interesting times indeed.

Ski areas are nearly impossible to run profitably on their own. The profits come from real estate which has been in the tank for a while now.