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Medicine Lodge Ski Hill getting upgrades

Province gives Medicine Lodge Ski Hill Society $214,000
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Medicine Lodge Ski Area is upgrading its T-bar next season thanks largely to provincial government and Lacombe County funding help. (Photo from Lacombe Regional Tourism)

Medicine Lodge Ski Club's plans to take their treasured winter venue to the next level have been given a big boost.

Society volunteers found out on Dec. 12 they were among a dozen organizations that will share $4.2 million in funding from Alberta Tourism and Sport's Alberta Communities Initiative.

The society is in line for $213,718, matching a similar amount lined up by the society, including $190,637 approved by Lacombe County council last June. The county is also providing $25,000 in annual operating funds.

Club president Greg Chernoff said most of the money – about $405,000 – will go towards upgrading Medicine Lodge Ski Hill's 1970s-era Samson T-Bar lift.

It was hoped if the grant came through earlier the T-bar could have been overhauled this season. But the contractor is now fully booked so the work will take place next summer to be ready for the 2025-26 ski season.

The T-bar has long been a headache for operators of the hill 15 km west of Bentley. 

"We routinely have false triggering of the safety circuit, which stops the line," said Chernoff.

When the safety shutoff is triggered, staff have to climb up each individual tower to determine where the fault lies before restarting the line. It's a process that takes 20 to 30 minutes, leaving skiers and snowboarders standing around in the cold for long stretches before they can make another run.

The upgrade will see safety systems improved and designed so that when the safety circuit is triggered, the tower involved will be identified on a monitor in a new control centre. It will also stop the false triggering of the safety circuit, allowing the lift to run more continuously.

The T-bar motor will also be replaced with a variable speed version that allows operators to slow it down when needed, for instance, when inexperienced skiers are using it or ski patrollers are using it to pull equipment uphill. The telescoping bar that riders use will be replaced with a retractable cord device called a spring box and similar to that used at Canyon Ski Area.

Besides being a much better system, the T-bar fittings can be changed out so the lift can be used for mountain bikers. The long-term vision for the hill involves exploring the potential for creating a year-round venue.

Chernoff said despite the changes, the hill's "iconic" T-bar will retain its character.

"It really was a kind of touchstone for the culture of our hill and the club," he said. "It's a huge, huge step forward for our club and the ski hill and our community."

About $25,000 will be used to hire a consultant to undertake a hydrology study. The goal is to determine if there is enough water available for the society to consider buying snow-making equipment to extend the ski season. Last season, a lack of snow and other unseasonable conditions shortened the ski season to only four days.

Consultants are also expected to offer suggestions on how water could be supplied, such as pumping from wells or out of a storage reservoir, and provide information on the regulatory hurdles to be overcome.

"It's a first step in assessing whether (snow making) is an option for us," he said.

Meanwhile, the society is optimistic a better skiing season awaits. The hill rarely opens before Christmas and there is not enough accumulated snow yet this year to open but is hoped skiers can hit the slopes soon.

"I feel we're on schedule for a more normal season," he said.

 

 

 



Paul Cowley

About the Author: Paul Cowley

Paul grew up in Brampton, Ont. and began his journalism career in 1990 at the Alaska Highway News in Fort. St. John, B.C.
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