Bear mountain resort COVID-19 UPDATE
For Ecoasis, the company that owns the 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf, the Bear Mountain Tennis Centre and the developable lands at Bear Mountain, effectively navigating the challenges of a pandemic brought to the forefront a new way of thinking in terms of business operations. With 3,000 residents and close to 600 members, Bear Mountain Golf & Tennis Resort Community had to be innovative to continue safely operating its amenities while providing members and guests the opportunity to enjoy healthy outdoor activities during the stressful lockdown.
Bear Mountain’s golf courses were only two of a few in the country that remained open throughout the pandemic. Under the leadership of Director of Golf Rob Larocque, a strict Covid-19 operations protocol program was developed and implemented at the outset in order to allow for member-only play to continue.
“Our golf members made it abundantly clear that they were prepared to abide by any and all safety measures we put in place in order to continue enjoying the game of golf,” says Larocque.
“Bear Mountain residents also enjoyed an escape from quarantine, for a period of time, staying active by walking on our Valley golf course, which became a temporary draw during its closure for annual maintenance.“
“Obviously we don’t normally allow non-golfers on the course, but we recognized that unprecedented times called for flexibility, and we know it was greatly appreciated.”
Staff members surpassed expectations with their willingness to ensure the safety of members, guests, the golf and tennis community and each other. Although the Bear Mountain Tennis Centre did close down for a short period to ensure the stringent Covid-19 protocols developed were providing the highest level of safety, the phased re-opening involved members first, then members and guests and eventually the general public. Similar to the golf operations, Director of Tennis Russ Hartley and his staff received many accolades for their detailed and thoughtful efforts to keep the red clay tennis facility thriving.
The real estate arm of Ecoasis remained active with on-going preparation within the development of Pinehurst. The necessary infrastructure work for the neighbourhood continued over the past few months, and through safety protocols of their own, the general contractor and consultants kept the project moving. The 39-lot subdivision is now close to completion and building of the first homes could start as early as July.
In the spirit of giving back, Ecoasis developed a charitable initiative once the golf courses were open to the general public. The decision was made to donate a portion of all public play green fees to support local organizations working to address some of the hardship brought on by the pandemic – the beneficiary in May was the Covid-19 Langford Response Team, and for the month of June, the Goldstream Foodbank.
“We are proud of our proactive approach to keep our community safe, but still active and productive,” says Shannon Drew, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Community Initiatives.
“And supporting Langford has always been part of who we are and what we do.”