A new chairlift built to shuttle Olympic and Paralympic spectators will be moved to Banff-Lake Louise after the 2010 Games.

The Doppelmayr quad lift will replace the Strawberry triple chair at Sunshine Village which, at 35 years old, has reached the end of its service life.

In addition to preserving the Olympic legacy for the local community, it will improve the ski and snowboard experience for beginners, offering even more convenient and comfortable access to green and blue runs.

“Through this innovative agreement, we are supporting the short-term needs of Olympic organizers while significantly improving the long-term visitor experience in Banff National Park,” said Dan Markham, of Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine. “We have decreased organizing committee capital costs and have built an Olympic legacy that will be truly enjoyed for years to come.”

In the heart of Canada’s first National Park, Mt. Norquay, The Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village are noted for their progressive environmental practices. The purchase and reuse of this lift represents yet another positive step.

The new lift follows the path of the Strawberry lift, but is approximately 40 meters longer. This allows for construction of the upper station, starting in April 2010 – before the end of the ski season. This will allow construction over snow pack, minimizing impact on vegetation.

“The sale of the temporary ‘Timing Flats’ lift to Sunshine Village demonstrates how these are truly Canada’s Games,” said Dick Vollet, VP of Mountain Operations with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Organizing Committee.

The lift was installed in Whistler Blackcomb for the 2010 Games, but will be redundant once the games have concluded. It is being used to shuttle spectators, officials and athletes to the stadium and finish area for a number of events, and to move spectators with special accessibility needs.

This lift replacement is part of continued efforts to constantly improve the ski and snowboard experience in Banff National Park. Last season The Lake Louise Ski Area opened a newly replaced Ptarmigan Chair, increasing guest comfort and significantly reducing power consumption. The Leitner Poma fixed-grip quad was replaced adhering to strict environmental guidelines, including soil salvaging during construction, access via existing trails only, the majority of work being completed by hand, grizzly bear protocol adhered to with a monitoring process and education for staff and construction crew.

Mt. Norquay has also added value this season, opening a new Tubing Park for those young and old to enjoy. Working in conjunction with Parks Canada, the lift-accessed course was designed and built to offer an exciting and fun-filled activity which, at the same time, allows the surrounding environment to remain preserved.

New Lift Statistics

• Rated capacity of 1,800 guests per hour
• 45 chairs
• 8 towers
• Approx. ride time of 2.7 minutes
• Bottom drive, detachable quad lift
• Manufactured by Doppelmayr CTEC, of Kelowna, B.C.