Announcing the Purchase of Four (4) New Lifts for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies’ BC Resorts
Calgary, Alberta, May 11, 2026 – RCR announces it will be installing four (4) new lifts from ski lift manufacturer Leitner Poma at its BC Resorts of Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
The four (4) new lifts are scheduled for installation in 2026 and 2027. Construction will begin this spring at Kimberley Alpine Resort and in the spring of 2027 at Fernie Alpine Resort and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
“This is a major investment in our BC Resorts and shows our company’s commitment to providing excellent experiences for our guests and our resort communities,” said John Shea, President & Chief Resort Officer at RCR.
Four (4) New Lifts:
Tamarack Quad Chair – Kimberley Alpine Resort – Kimberley will see the first new lift, with installation scheduled for 2026, with a new quad chair, the Tamarack Quad Chair. Work will begin in spring 2026, with completion and the opening scheduled for December 2026. The Tamarack Quad Chair will be built on the same alignment as the current Tamarack Double Chair, which will be retired.
Elk Express – Fernie Alpine Resort – Fernie will see the installation of a new high-speed detachable four (4) passenger lift in 2027, the Elk Express. This new lift will replace the current Elk Quad Chair, which will be retired. The Elk Express will shorten the ride time to mid-mountain by nearly 50%. As a key component of Fernie Alpine Resort’s Summer Operation, this new high-speed detachable lift will make the summer experience faster and smoother. Opening of the Elk Express is scheduled for the winter of 2027/28.
Cedar Bowl Express – Fernie Alpine Resort – Fernie will see a second new lift in 2027 with the installation of the Cedar Bowl Express. This new high-speed detachable four (4) passenger lift will transport skiers and riders from the bottom of Cedar Bowl to the top of the Bear Chair area, allowing guests to have one lift transport back to the top of Cedar Bowl versus the three-lift ride that is currently required. Opening of the Cedar Bowl Express is scheduled for the winter of 2027/28.
Pioneer Express – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort – Kicking Horse will see the installation of a new high-speed four (4) passenger lift in 2027 – Pioneer Express. This new lift will transport skiers and riders from the base of the ski resort up into Crystal Bowl to the base of Stairway Chair and will provide our guests with a second option for access to the Alpine, as an alternative to the Golden Eagle Express Gondola. This new lift will more than double the base area lift capacity, which means skiers and riders will be on the snow that much sooner on those Pow Days. Pioneer Express is replacing the current Pioneer Lift, which will be retired. Opening of the Pioneer Express is scheduled for the winter of 2027/28.
“Undertaking these new projects is a significant investment into our resorts and allows us to modernize our infrastructure and to significantly improve the experience for our guests, focusing on performance, comfort and innovation,” said Matt Mosteller, Senior Vice President of Resort Experience.
Real Estate Updates
In addition to lift installations, RCR is working at Fernie Alpine Resort on the release of new on-mountain residential lots at Timberlanding 3. These new on-mountain lots will go to market later this year.
At Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, the final phase of the Cedars Mountain Homes is underway and offers you the opportunity to own an on-mountain luxury home.
Look for more information for on-mountain real estate opportunities to be released soon.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc.
Based out of Calgary, Alberta, RCR is Canada’s largest private owner/operator of ski resorts in Canada, with resorts in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. Our goal is to provide our guests with the best vacation and recreation experience possible.
Source: Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc.
Fernie Alpine Resort
Kimberley Alpine Resort
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
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For more information, please contact:
Matt Mosteller
Senior VP Marketing & Resort Experience, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
media@skircr.com
Instagram, Facebook & Twitter – @PowderMatt
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Join us at Kimberley’s Winter Stoke Fest 2025
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NEW Ski Cross Course at Kimberley Alpine Resort
We are excited to announce the completion of the new Ski Cross Course at Kimberley Alpine Resort, provided by Kimberley Alpine Team (KAT).
In 2022 KAT was awarded the Mackenzie Investments Top Peak Award of $50,000 to put towards facility and equipment upgrades. KAT began dreaming big and aimed our sights on building a Ski Cross course at Kimberley Alpine Resort. Additional funding was received from the Columbia Basin Trust’s ReDi grant program for track construction and related equipment. All safety equipment and netting has been purchased by KAT and will be installed prior to the course opening.
What is Ski Cross and why is Kimberley Alpine Team so excited? The ski cross event lines up four
athletes, who race head-to-head through an active course of berms and rollers, requiring speed and
strategy to be the first to finish. Ski Cross was first introduced as an Olympic event at Vancouver 2010,
where Canada dominated the sport and continues to do so today. It is fast becoming an exciting
movement as it is fun for athletes and spectators alike!
The new 800m course is built in-between Buckhorn and the Terrain Park, without impacting any of the
current runs. Several exciting features are highlighted between 6 bermed corners over the 125m
elevation drop. An athlete staging area will avoid congestion at the start area to ensure safety for athletes
and public resort users. The finish area is designed with lots of space for spectators. The majority of the
course can be viewed from the North Star Express chairlift.
Get more information on the KAT website.
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Kimberley Alpine Resort Named in Best Ski Schools in North America
Kimberley Alpine Resort has just received the Bronze accolade by snowmad.com for the Best Ski School in North America! The Snomad Ski Resort Awards are based on 140,000+ real skier ratings from the 24/25 season, making them the most authentic and unbiased recognition in the ski industry – free from paid-for nominations or self-collected votes.
As per the snomad website;
The resort has earned its 4.58/5.00 ranking through consistent excellence in both facilities and instructor expertise. The learning environment is enhanced by quiet, uncrowded slopes – something Andy (real Kimberley skier) highlights when mentioning “zero lift lines” that create ideal conditions for focus and progression. Megan (real Kimberley skier) points out the abundance of blue terrain “for all ages,” making it perfect for skills development without intimidation. Several users mention the resort’s accessibility for all skill levels, with Stewart (real Kimberley skier), an expert snowboarder, emphasizing how the terrain allows riders to “explore and push your limits” as they advance through the ski school program. The combination of attentive instructors, uncrowded learning spaces, and terrain that grows with your abilities makes Kimberley’s ski school experience truly award-worthy.
Read more at gosnowmad.com.
Kimberley Alpine Resort • Book A Lesson at Kimberley Alpine Resort • Facebook • Instagram
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For more information, please contact:
Matt Mosteller
Senior VP Marketing & Resort Experience, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
mmosteller@skircr.com
Facebook, Twitter & Instagram – @PowderMatt
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Award Winning Ski School has some of the Top Instructors in Canada
Read more at gosnowmad.com
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Fun events are still to come for Kimberley Alpine Resort
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Big Snowfall & Kimberley Opening for Early Preview Weekend
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Vote for our Winter Sports School in 10Best
We are very proud of our Winter Sports School for once again being nominated in USA Today’s 10best.
Help support our team in our Winter Sports School department by voting for us!
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Farmer’s Almanac Agrees, it’s a La Niña Winter
Environment Canada and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have already declared the upcoming 2024.2025 winter season a La Niña phenonmenon and now Farmer’s Almanac agrees.
According to the Almanac; ‘La Niña, which refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, is expected to develop and hang on through the season. Taking into account the effect La Niña has on the weather, along with our long-standing formula, we anticipate the winter of 2024-25 will be wet and cold for most locations.’ Which is music to winter sports enthusiasts ears. Read more on the Farmer’s Almanac website.
Get ready for winter, it could be really snowy on the Powder Highway of British Columbia! It’s time to get your ski gear ready & plan your winter ski vacation. Winter Early Booking offers are on now.
Book Fernie Alpine Resort
Book Kimberley Alpine Resort
Book Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
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For more information, please contact:
Matt Mosteller
Senior VP Marketing & Resort Experience, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
media@skircr.com
Instagram, Facebook & Twitter – @PowderMatt
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Will it be another La Niña Winter? What is Environment Canada predicting?
Canada – We interrupt your summer with a snowy update. La Niña winter is in the forecast!
You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about La Niña or sometimes El Niño, so what do they really mean? During El Niño, trade winds weaken, warm water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas resulting in areas in the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual. Now La Niña is what we really get excited about. La Niña has the opposite effect of El Niño. During La Niña events, trade winds are stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. The cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and colder events with more percipitation (snow!) in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
Check out the Environment Canada map at the bottom of this email to see the percipitation predictions for the upcoming winter.
Now we know these are just predictions so don’t stop doing your snow dance. We sure hope the snowier than normal ski season returns this winter! Cheers to La Niña!
We have been busy doing summer grooming at Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. We have a custom built mowers that attach to a grooming cat and can give the slopes a sweet hair-cut so they are ready for those first flakes.
Don’t forget to plan ahead if you’re thinking about booking a ski holiday or weekend getaway as space books up quickly. Book your vacation on our website or email our vacation specialists to inquire about early booking offers at information@skircr.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Matt Mosteller
Senior VP Marketing & Resort Experience, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
media@skircr.com
Twitter • Facebook • Instagram – @PowderMatt
Powder Matt’s Blog
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