BACKGROUNDER:

The new chairlift being installed at Marmot Basin will be the largest and most significant ski area development in Alberta for the 2009/ 2010 season and will be the longest, high speed quad detachable chairlift in the Alberta Canadian Rockies. The chairlift will completely change the face of Marmot Basin enhancing the overall skier experience exponentially.

Chair Type:
High speed quad detachable chairlift (4 people per chair)

Manufacturer:
Leitner Poma

Length:
2,300 metres LONGEST HIGH SPEED QUAD DETACHABLE CHAIRLIFT IN THE ALBERTA ROCKIES

Vertical Rise: 596 metres (1,955 feet)

Carrying Capacity: 2,400 passengers per hour

Speed: 5.08 metres per second

Ride Time: 7.5 minutes bottom to top


The bottom terminal of the new lift will be located at the existing bottom terminal of the Tranquilizer Chair. The top terminal of the chairlift will be situated at the current unload of the Kiefer T-Bar.

Customer Benefits:

NON-STOP RIDE TO THE TOP - Uninterrupted ride from the base of the ski area to the top of the upper area.

MORE VARIETY FOR EVERYONE - All ability levels can ride the new chair and find a run from the top to suit their skill level.

FAST! - With a line speed of 5.08 metres per second, the new lift will whisk skiers and snowboarders up 2.3 kilometres (1.5 miles) in 7.5 minutes.

LONG RUNS! Skiers love long runs. The new chairlift carries skiers up 596 vertical metres (1,955 vertical feet) for a 4 km downhill run (2.5 miles)!

NO LIFT LINES MORE SLOPE TIME - With two high speed lifts from the base area, the lift system will carry up to 4,800 skiers per hour out of the lower mountain. Marmots carrying capacity to skier visit ratio is one of the highest anywhere meaning line ups to get on the chairlift will be all but non-existent and time spent skiing and boarding on the slopes will be maximized.

MORE OPEN SLOPE SKIING in the upper area with the removal of the Kiefer T-Bar surface lift. With the T-Bar track gone, more slope area opens up for skiers.

A NEW, LARGER AND BETTER TERRAIN PARK will be located on Lower Liftline where Marmot’s new snowmaking system will deliver piles of snow to shape and expand the park. This is possible now that the Tranquilizer Chair will be removed to make way for the new high speed quad detachable chairlift. The terrain park will also open much earlier in the season due to this new location serviced by Marmots new snowmaking system.

Cooperation with Parks Canada:
Marmot Basin is the first of the four ski areas located within Canadian Rocky Mountain Park system to complete its Site Guidelines and Vision Statement with Parks Canada. This means that Marmot Basin is the currently the only national park ski area that can proceed with its development plans. Parks Canada Agency approved Site Guidelines and a supporting Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in February 2008 after 2.5 years of discussions that set permanent limits to growth and provided clear parameters for the future use and development of the Marmot Basin ski area in Jasper National Park.

The Site Guidelines were prepared in collaboration with Parks Canada. The process included a comprehensive public consultation program and was consistent with the Minister of the Environments Ski Area Management Guidelines (SAMG) (December, 2006). Following the completion of the public consultation period, the Superintendent of Jasper National Park approved the Environmental Assessment (July 30,2008). Consistent with the SAMG, the purposes of the approved Marmot Basin Site Guidelines (MBSG) are to: provide certainty and clear parameters for business planning to help effectively manage the ski area and to help ensure it remains commercially viable; ensure that the ecological integrity of the park is not compromised; and enable the ski area to contribute to facilitating memorable visitor experiences and educational opportunities.

Shareholder Commitment:
The shareholders of Marmot Basin are committed to further developing this world-class ski resort with the goal of strengthening a sustainable tourism destination that will provide lasting benefit to the entire community of Jasper, the greater Yellowhead region and Edmonton area, and to skiers and snowboarders from across the globe who visit Jasper and Marmot Basin. This project is the single biggest infrastructure investment ever made at Marmot Basin and is the largest capital improvement in Jasper for 2009.

The new group of Marmot Basin shareholders have invested 8 million dollars in capital improvements since January 2003 when they assumed ownership of the ski area. This new high speed quad detachable chair lift will cost approximately 8 million dollars bringing the total to over 16 million dollars of improvements to Marmot Basin between 2003 and 2009.

Economic Impact :
Marmot Basin currently averages 230,000 skier visits per year. 80% of Marmots skiers originate from Edmonton, central and northern Alberta. Factoring in conservative growth projections, this will result in a minimum of 1,200,000 skier visits at Marmot Basin over the five year period.

Marmot Basin is more than just a world class ski area. It is also a recognized and significant economic generator for Jasper, the Yellowhead corridor and for the entire province of Alberta.

Based on 230,000 skier visits per season, and on the Price Waterhouse Coopers report: The Economic Impact of Downhill Skiing at Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Ski Resorts, February, 2000, Marmot Basin contributes the following to the economy:

Jasper Economy: $40,940,000
Provincial, Federal & Local Taxes: $19,973,200
Province Wide Impact (all sectors): $100,050,000
Employment: 864 person years (409 direct, 455 indirect)

Best Management Practices Environmental Commitment:
Marmot Basin is committed to the environment and the preservation of the ecological integrity of Jasper National Park. As leaders in environmental stewardship, our operating policy is to have minimal impact on the environment and to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible. We are proud recipients of the Jasper National Park Heritage Stewardship Award in 2004 for the installation of the Eagle Ridge Chair and strive to lead the way in environmental practices. The new quad chair lift project has undergone an intensive Environmental Assessment review and will be installed under strict environmental policies to ensure Marmot Basin’s environmental integrity.

Marmot Basin will employ the following practices as per the recent Ski Area Management Guidelines that Marmot Basin references as a Best Management Practices Manual:

Excavations: To avoid mixing topsoil horizons with lower subsoils or parent materials the following procedures are practiced. Sod mats are salvaged whenever possible to be replaced after backfilling. The top 15cm of earth is considered topsoil and salvaged. The entire depth is salvaged if the layer is deeper. All excavated mineral is stored separately from sod mats and topsoil. All materials are stored on either disturbed terrain or on filter cloth if vegetation is present. Excess materials are removed from the site. Sod, topsoil and mineral soil are all stored separately. A rare plant survey was done on the lift alignment and the power line route prior to construction start up. This method is used for tower sites and terminal excavations. Machinery used depends on terrain and could range from excavators on flatter terrain to Spider hoes on steeper terrain to hand digging in sensitive or very steep terrain.

Tree Removal: Tree removal will be done over snow using snow cats as much as possible to reduce impact on ground cover. When snow cover will no longer support tree removal with snow cats the remaining trees will be heli-logged. Marmot will replant 0.68 hectares of trees around the ski area to balance out the 0.68 hectares of trees removed from the lift line. All stumps will be flush cut and the root system left intact to minimize erosion.

Reclamation and Re-vegetation of disturbed sites: All disturbed areas will be reclaimed using native sod where available or a seed mix acceptable to Parks Canada. Water bars will be installed on steeper slopes to minimize erosion. Ditch blocks are also used in power line trenches.
Reclaimed areas will be monitored for the next several years to ensure regeneration to Parks Canada standards.

Decommissioning of existing lifts: The lifts to be replaced will be removed over snow where possible or by helicopter. Concrete tower footings will be shattered to a depth of 15 cms. and the area will be reclaimed. The shattered concrete will be removed from the site. The old, lifts will be either sold or recycled.

Labels: News Release

CONSTRUCTION NOW IN HIGH GEAR

Jasper, Alberta
One of Canadas most significant ski lift development projects for winter 2009 -10 is now fully underway at Jaspers 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 Basins 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.



For more information, please contact Brian Rode at 1-866-952-3816 or brrode@skimarmot.com

Labels: News Release