Employment and Investment Minister Dan Miller met with out-of-work employees of Apex Resort Tuesday and for the first time shed some light on why the province is calling the $8.6 million loan to the resort. According to a CBC report, one of the reasons is that Apex has never made an interest payment on the loan and the province feels the resort has no intention of repaying the loan. However, Apex said earlier it had negotiated a repayment schedule and company restructuring plan with the province prior to the provincial election in May. The plan was approved by government officials, the government’s consultant and the Treasury Board and then rejected by cabinet. The province announced last month that it intends to apply to have the resort placed in receivership by Aug. 8. Late last week the province announced it was delaying that action for four weeks. Originally the government indicated it intended to have the resort sold within 90 days of the receiver being appointed. This week Miller said he intends to ask for a manager to be appointed to operate the resort through the winter. It’s unlikely the resort could be sold until an agreement with native bands in the area over the disputed access road is settled. A five-week blockade of the road in the fall of 1994 is what led to the province guaranteeing the loan to Apex Resort in the first place. Apex closed the resort and laid off most of its employees last week as it moved into a survival mode and prepared for the ski season opening in November. Following Miller’s meeting with resort employees Tuesday one worker said he didn’t know whether to believe the resort or the province anymore.
