Four New Quads For Three Canadian Resorts

Canada’s iconic “steep and deep” destination Fernie has announced that it will have two new high speed quad chairlifts installed ahead of the 2027-28 season.

The new lifts make up half of the four new quad chairlifts being installed for the next two seasons at three of the BC ski areas run by the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) group, with a new lift for Kimberley coming next winter and one for Kicking Horse coming in 2027/28.  

At Fernie the new Elk Express high-speed quad 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%. The new Cedar Bowl Express 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.

“Undertaking these new projects is a significant investment into our resorts and allows us to modernize our infrastructure and to significantly improve the experience of our guests, focusing on performance, comfort and innovation,” said Matt Mosteller, RCR’s Senior Vice President of Resort Experience.

Kimberley will see the first of the four new lifts, 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.

Finally, Kicking Horse will see the installation of a new high-speed quad chairlift in 2027/28. – 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.

RCR state that 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.