It’s funny. When I first conducted this study of the new upper class and why they found the world of Intrawest resorts so appealing, the network was at its peak. That was 2004, before Intrawest founders sold the company to Fortress (August 11, 2006) and laughed all the way to the bank. The last chapter in the book deals with the whole authenticity debate; whether Intrawest’s signature ‘fantasy’ aesthetic could possibly have any staying power. Critics like David Boyle predicted a return to the real - a shift back toward the handcrafted, the handmade, the natural and imperfect.

Perhaps the reason for Fortress’s shares dropping from 18.5 when it went public in February 2007 to 5.5 by October 2007, then to an all-time low of 1.87 by December 2008 is more related to an imperfect economy. Still, I think Boyle has a point. I can’t help but wonder, when thousands of years from now a new civilization digs up the area where Tremblant resort once stood and finds all these brightly coloured bits of rooftop and whatnot amid such an obviously stunning landscape, what will they make of it? of us?

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Special thanks to Sorin Pavelesco for the enticing ‘box of chocolates’ cover design.