Fernie, British Columbia — For expert skiers, arguably the most important chairlift at Fernie Alpine Resort is the White Pass chairlift.
Installed in 1998, this fixed-grip quad chairlift can carry up to 1,800 passengers per hour. While it doesn’t serve the gnarliest terrain at Fernie, it’s the only chair that gives access to the Polar Peak chair that’s beloved by experts. Because of its importance, Fernie modernized it this offseason.
Yesterday, Fernie Alpine Resort sold its old chairs from the White Pass chairlift. These were sold for only C$250 (around $177 USD), with the proceeds going to the Emily Brydon Foundation. If you snagged a chair, I’m definitely not jelly.
The reason for the sale of these chairs is that the chairlift underwent a modernization project. Included in these upgrades are new lift chairs, control and electrical systems, and lift shacks. Additionally, a new outhouse next to the lift has been added for those who need to do the worst thing to do with ski boots on.
2027 Additions
This isn’t the only lift project planned at Fernie. For the 2027-28 season, two new chairlifts are planned. The Elk Quad chair (a fixed-grip quad chairlift) is planned to be replaced with a detachable high-speed quad chairlift. A new high-speed chairlift, Cedar Bowl, will go from the bottom of Cedar Bowl to the top of the Great Bear Express Quad Chairlift. This will reduce the ride to the top of Cedar Bowl from three lift rides to just one.
Fernie plans to open for the season on Friday, December 4th.
Image/Video Credits: Fernie Alpine Resort, Skier 72
