Poma of America shines in SunshineLet's take another look at the KARINA 8 gondola lift in Sunshine Village. The gondola lift has been operational since mid-November and this commissioning date
was made possible thanks to the resources made by our POMA Canada and Poma of
America subsidiaries. Note that this date was imperative for the customer because this
gondola lift is the one and only means of accessing Sunshine Village ski resort, located in
Banff Park, the largest national park in Canada. The Rocky Mountains Parks, including
Banff Park, are part of Unesco's world heritage. Banff is located in an area of craggy
mountain, glaciers, hot springs and canyons. Article from Poma News, Pomagalski Newspaper #7, Spring 2002 Technical features of the installation |
Banff is also home to a wide variety of wild
animals, which can be observed at close range (but
preferably not too close in certain cases): Columbian ground
squirrels, marmots, American magpies, harlequin ducks, but
also moose, elk, coyotes, wolves, cougars, black bears and
grizzlies! In a word, Banff Park is exactly what you would
imagine the Canadian Rockies to be, and visiting it is
a magical experience at any time of year. This explains why
planning permission for the gondola lift project was subject
to such detailed scrutiny before being granted on 27 June.
Park authorities carried out numerous, very strict
inspections throughout the construction period. Obviously,
this gondola lift had to meet very demanding aesthetic
criteria in order to blend in perfectly with the awesome
landscape of the Canadian Rocky. The project included
dismantling the old transport system; construction of three
new stations and the installation of the fourth station inside
an existing building. Access holes had to be made in the
bearing walls of this existing building in order to
accommodate the mechanical equipment for the station.
These works - installed of the line, drawing of 9500 meters
of cable, parking tracks for 168 cabins, heating platforms,
buildings - had to be completed and fully tested for a public
opening on 17 November, i.e. in just four and a half
months. Congratulations to the entire team for meeting this
deadline. In the past, on the busiest day, 6100 skiers had
taken the previous lift and in certain cases, the waiting time
at the base terminal had been as long as 90 minutes! This
year, the busiest day so far saw 6900 skiers waiting less
than 10 minutes at the base terminal. Highly satisfied with
the speed and comfort of this installation which gives them
free rein to enjoy the high mountain snow in such a
magnificent environment, the skiers have no