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Marmot installs the longest high speed chair in the Rockies

May 2009

Jasper, Alberta

One of Canada's most significant ski lift development projects for winter 2009 -10 is now fully underway at Jasper's Marmot Basin ski resort. Equipment and work crews have arrived in Jasper and have begun work at Marmot Basin on what will be the longest new high- speed quad chairlift in the Alberta Canadian Rocky Mountains. Tree removal has now been completed establishing the right of way for the ski lift and parts for the new lift are arriving daily by transport truck. The new quad chair will be ready for opening day November 2009.


The new high speed ski lift is manufactured by Leitner Poma and has a slope length of approximately 2300 meters and a vertical rise of 596 meters and replaces the Tranquilizer Chair and the Kiefer T-Bar. The bottom terminal will be at the base of the lower mountain adjacent to the existing Eagle Express quad chair terminal. The lift will whisk 2400 passengers per hour from the lower base area and unload them at the top of the soon-to-be-removed Kiefer T-Bar. The lift will have an 800 horse power, top-drive engine and will operate at a design speed of 5.08 meters per second (1000 ft/min). The chairlift ride will last an estimated 7.5 minutes. 

Marmot Basin's new shareholder group has injected a significant amount of capital into their winter recreation area - over 8 million dollars over the past five years in new developments and infrastructure.  The Marmot Basin team is committed to continued development, improvement and long-term sustainability of the resort and is spending an additional 8 million dollars (approximate) on the new lift system.

"We are all looking forward to this new addition to our already friendly and accessible hill and trail system," commented Dave Gibson, President of Marmot Basin. "We are very pleased to have completed our Vision Statement and Site Guideline agreements with Parks Canada - all parties involved worked tirelessly to achieve an appropriate balance for both our ski area and for Jasper National Park. Having this new lift will substantially enhance the quality of skiers' and snowboarders' experience at Marmot Basin by greatly increasing the accessibility of our upper mountain terrain, right from the bottom of the mountain", added Gibson.