Banff's Mount Norquay announces plans to replace chairlift, lodge
Mount Norquay ski resort in Banff National Park has announced plans to replace its North American Chairlift, originally built in 1946, with a two-station gondola.
Officials say the gondola would run from the main lodge area to the Cliff House restaurant.
It's one of a number of proposed changes outlined in Norquay's vision for the next hundred years of operation, during which time the resort aims to modernize ski and sightseeing opportunities with energy-efficient lifts and the integration of new buildings and heritage buildings.
Along with the outdated chairlift, Norquay plans to remove the the North American lodge, expand and restore Cliff House, relocate and restore ski jumping judging towers, create a wheelchair accessible Via Ferrata route and an enhanced shuttle system that will better manage traffic on the Norquay access road through the Cascade Wildlife Corridor.
“For nearly 100 years, Norquay has served as Banff’s backyard, an iconic destination for skiers and sightseers, often providing visitors their first introduction to Banff National Park," said Mount Norquay general manager Andre Quenneville in a Tuesday news release.
"As we start to look towards our second century of operation, we are putting plans in place to improve the visitor experience and make ourselves more accessible as well as environmentally and economically sustainable."
A map showing a potential future lift system at Norquay, as seen on Norquay's website. (Norquay) Officials hope throughout the modernization they can decrease Norquay’s built footprint and reduce the potential for human-wildlife conflict.
In addition, there are plans to use Indigenous names for major Norquay components, in consultation with Indigenous communities.
"Without this project, Norquay is not economically sustainable because it does not generate enough funds to replace its existing lifts at the end of their life," said Quenneville.
For more information on the project you can visit Mount Norquay's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.