The Thunder or Lightning Express? New name possible for Marble's new ski lift
A new name for a new ski lift at Marble Mountain hopes to preserve a historic lightning strike as part of the hill's history.
Two months after Marble's ski lift was destroyed by a summer lightning strike, managers are set to possibly pick a new name for the lift on Monday ahead of the 2014-2015 season.
Of the lift's possible new names: the Lightning Express; or the Thunder Snow Express; or the old name, Governor's Express.
"Once we kind of get away from it, in ten, fifteen years from now, it's going to be part of Marble Mountain's history," said General Manager Chris Beckett, adding that the reason to add the thunder and lightning references were more historical than humorous.
"When you talk about Marble Mountain over the years and what happened at Marble Mountain this is going to be one of those things people talk about," he said.
In August during a bout of intense weather, Marble Mountain's old ski lift was destroyed when lightening struck the lift's main unit.
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The three possible names were offered up as part of a recent online survey where people could also add their own name suggestion.
With its possible new name, whatever it may be, Beckett said the new chair lift will be the only high speed lift of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
Parts for the new lift are already arriving in the country, like a massive cable that will hold the lift's chairs which Beckett said had to be ordered internationally.
"[It's] ahead of schedule, which is nice to hear, so we are expecting it to arrive at our door step in the next couple of weeks, once it clears customs," Beckett said.
While no time line has been given for the new lift's construction, Beckett said season passes for Marble Mountain are now on sale, with the hill scheduled to be open on Boxing Day.
"Without any weather delays or anything like that, it looks like we are going to have the whole mountain for the middle of January, and that includes all of our ski runs and all of our lifts," he said.
$3.5-million was given to the west coast business from the provincial government, to help them pay for the new lift and restore the hill to its pre-lightning strike state.
You can vote for what the new ski lift at Marble Mountain should be called here.