Marmot Basin, the pristine Canadian Rocky mountain resort near Jasper, < has received the green light to build a new state-of-the-art chairlift after complying with the necessary environmental requirements.
Construction on the new lift has begun and will continue in the Spring of 2009 to be ready for the 2009/10 ski and snowboard season.
The Leitner Poma system will be the longest high-speed quad detachable chairlift in the Alberta Canadian Rockies, with a measured slope length of approximately 2300m and a vertical rise of some 596 meters.
Replacing the existing Tranquilizer Chair and 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 in seven-and-a-half minutes from the lower base area and unload them at the top terminal of the existing Kiefer T-Bar.
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’ visits to Marmot Basin by greatly increasing the accessibility of our upper mountain terrain, right from the bottom of the mountain.”
In constructing the new lift, Marmot Basin will continue to employ eco-conscious practices. Great care will be taken to minimize the environmental impact arising from the construction activities, for example, large mechanical components for the top station and drive system will be moved into place over snow to reduce the impact on soil and vegetation.
Helicopters will be utilized to move concrete, towers and equipment over sensitive and otherwise inaccessible alpine terrain. Necessary tree removal to clear the new lift right of way will also be done over snow. Marmot Basin will work within our newly established environmental best practice guidelines and employ environmentally responsible processes similar to the strategies employed and using the experience gained during the building of the Eagle’s Ridge Chair in 2004 – a project for which Marmot Basin garnered recognition for its environmental stewardship and was awarded the Jasper National Park Stewardship Award.