Big White Resort: Construction of Canada's longest six-person chairlift is nearing completion.

Work on Big White's new Snow Ghost Express, at the base of the Ridge began in earnest last April, a day after the resort shut down.
The concrete for the base towers was put in place in August and the second phase got under way Tuesday with the installation of the towers.
A heavy duty Bell helicopter from Chilliwack was brought in for the job.
Chief pilot Kerry Kokoszka of Transwest Helicopters, says he's disassembled ski lifts before, but this was his first assembly job.
"I haven't assembled any ski towers, but about a month ago we disassembled one in Kimberley, so it should be interesting."
Kokoszka says accuracy is the key to pulling off the job.
"The wind will cause the aircraft to move around. Another important factor is keeping the helicopter stable because there's always a danger for the ground crews. It's a bit of a high stress job."
Kokoska lifted the 20 towers Tuesday with the heaviest one weighing in at more than 5,000 pounds -- maxing out the helicopter's lift.
The man in charge of making everything run smoothly on the ground is Pat Boyle of Leitner-Poma. He says there was a lot of prep-work involved before the towers could be installed.
"We spent months doing the concrete and assembling the steel. After the towers are up, we have to install the haul-rope. And the end of the month, we should have everything set up and ready for a test. If all goes according to plan, the lift will be up and running by November and all we'll need is the snow."
Once the Snow Ghost Express is up and going, it will be able to handle up to 5,400 skiers per hour or 10 passengers every seven seconds. The lift will also be the longest six-passenger chair in Canada - nearly 6200 feet long and will have a ride time of less than six minutes.
Chairlifts don't come cheap. Big White's Michael J. Ballingall says it comes with a $7 million price tag. But he says the extra expense is worth it.
"The record breaking number of guests during our Christmas, Presidents Week and Spring Break periods clearly indicated that we had to expand our existing carrying capacity, especially in the highest-traffic area of the Ridge ski pod. The Snow Ghost Express will definitely reduce the wait times to a minimum during these busy periods," says Michael J. Ballingall.

Snow permitting, Big White should be open by November 23.

Article by Kelly Hayes from Castanet.

Big White Unveils the New SNOW GHOST EXPRESS

Canada's Longest Six-Person Chairlift!

Kelowna, BC -- Big White Ski Resort Ltd. announced to a live radio audience the installation of the new Snow Ghost Express - a state-of-the-art $7M six-passenger chairlift, that will be constructed at the base of the popular Ridge area. Big White has built its world-renowned reputation on providing guests with some of the shortest lift wait times in the industry, in order to provide the best available on-slope experience. Big White boasts the second-highest skier visits in BC and the third-highest in Canada. 
The Snow Ghost Express is named after the legendary snow covered trees that Big White is famous for in its alpine region. The Leinter-Poma lift will be built using a local Kelowna contractor. "This is the best equipment in the world at this time," commented Resort President, Peter Schumann, "and we again pride ourselves on using local talent to construct and supply most components to the Snow Ghost Express." continued Schumann. 

The Snow Ghost Express will be the longest six-passenger chair in Canada - 6190 feet, (1862 metres) long, and will whisk skiers and riders to the top in just under six minutes. Situated parallel to the current Ridge Rocket Express, the Snow Ghost will service Big White's most popular runs and terrain. The two lifts combined will generate an uphill capacity of 5,400 skiers per hour (ten passengers every seven seconds) and increases the hourly lift capacity to an impressive 28,000 riders per hour. Big White's lift inventory is one of the most modern, comfortable, and quickest in North America. 
Skiers and riders will benefit tremendously from this resort improvement, especially during peak periods. "We are thrilled that so many skiers and riders from around the world have made Big White their destination of choice again this winter," said Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Big White Ski Resort. "The record breaking number of guests during our Christmas, Presidents Week and Spring Break periods clearly indicated that we had to expand our existing carrying capacity, especially around the Ridge base. The Snow Ghost Express will definitely minimize waiting times, and will make everyone feel like a local." Construction of the Snow Ghost Express commenced on April 18th, 2006, a day after the resort closed for the season. 

In addition to the Snow Ghost Express, Big White Ski Resort Ltd. will: 

1) Upgrade the Paradise, Meadowlark, Serwa’s and Exhibition runs, allowing the resort to open earlier in the season, snow permitting. 
2) Upgrade the Happy Valley beginner ski and snowboard area by installing a 400 foot Magic Carpet lift allowing for a comfortable, safe and enjoyable learning experience. 
3) Complete the 70 million gallon reservoir known as Paul Lake. This $4M project will secure Big White’s water needs well into the future. 
4) Continued summer grooming projects at Gem Lake, Black Forest, and in TELUS Park. 
5) With the popularity of last year's new Black Forest parking lot (600 car capacity), additional capacity will be added to the Black Forest Express quad, which will have its capacity increased by 34% in order to accommodate 2,400 skiers per hour.