Tabor Mountain Ski Resort Ltd. (TMSR) and its owner, Fernand Wilfred Thibault, have denied accusations by the provincial government that they improperly used insurance funds received following a devastating fire in 2018. The blaze destroyed the ski lodge at the resort, located 20 kilometres east of Prince George, British Columbia.
In a legal response filed on November 15, TMSR and Thibault refuted the claims laid out in the province’s lawsuit, the Prince George Citizen reported. The June 3 notice of claim alleged that TMSR misrepresented the amount received from the insurance payout, falsely claiming the insurer paid $591,800.
The province argued that TMSR had actually received $928,829 in insurance proceeds, of which $809,633 represented the depreciated value of the ski lodge, originally valued at $1,188,953.
TMSR and Thibault stated in their reply that the financial records provided to the province annually reflected the true value of the insurance proceeds. They further argued that the funds were insufficient to reconstruct the ski lodge and that, due to the resort’s unprofitable operations, no additional resources were available for the rebuild.
The reply also alleged that the province consented to and actively encouraged TMSR to seek assistance from non-profit sports organizations to fund the reconstruction. According to TMSR, Thibault engaged with provincial representatives in September 2018 to discuss the resort’s future operations and worked on a master plan with the province’s input over the following years.
TMSR contends that it only became aware in September 2023 that the province claimed ownership of the ski lodge and other improvements on the Crown land where the resort operates. At the time, it also learned that the proof of insurance was allegedly deficient under the terms of the lease and operating agreement.
The province’s lawsuit accuses TMSR of unlawfully distributing insurance funds to repay taxes, shareholder loans, and other personal financial obligations, including the purchase of three properties in the Ferndale area. The lawsuit claims these actions violated the terms of the operating agreement on the 135-hectare Crown land property.
TMSR has played a key role as a ski and snowboard venue during the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Thibault acquired shares in the company in 2004 and became its sole shareholder in 2007, according to the report.
Thibault’s legal team filed a notice of application on July 24, asserting that arbitration—not litigation—was the proper venue for resolving the dispute. However, the court dismissed the application on November 12, following consent from both parties to proceed with the lawsuit.
The province’s operating agreement with TMSR, which expired in 2020, has been periodically renewed, most recently extending through July 2024.
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