When Mt. Sima opens next Thursday, the hills will be packed with the snow, the trials will be prepared and a new chairlift worth three million dollars will be ready to go.

The lift, which is being named the Pelly Construction Chair, was possible due to the contributions of "different funding bodies,” said Craig Hougen, president of the Great Nothern Ski Society (GNSS).

As the operators of Mt. Sima, GNSS have yet to collect all the funds that are needed to cover the costs of the project but believe it will progress as scheduled.

"We're still working with our funding partners. We're in the midst of our funding campaign but things are looking good,” said Parker Hickey, General Manager of Mt. Sima.

Hougen expressed a similar outlook saying, "we're significantly along with the ones (sponsors) we've already announced so we're very optimistic about our funding objectives.”

The city invested $1.6 million dollars into the project but aside from that figure the exact numbers are unclear.

Hougen said $300,000 has come in from corporate sponsorship, with the remaining balance coming from the aforementioned funding bodies, which includes unsolicited donations.

"We've had people come forward unsolicited that would like to be part of it and asked to become involved. So they get involved in a sponsorship program,” said Hougen. "We've got quite a few different people that we're talking to at this very moment.”

Hougen was able to name that Pelly Construction has contributed $100,000 and Yukon Yahama contributed $25,000, before adding "we're about to make some announcements on a few others as well so we're getting a really outstanding response from the private sector.”

Hougen is hopeful that those announcements will be made before Christmas but highlighted the length of the sponsorship process.

"These things all take time, he said. "The ones we've announced we've been working on a for a good number of months already.”

Despite the funding not being readily available Hougen said the completion of the project is possible because of the "outstanding response” of the private sector.

Parker said the community's reaction to the renovations at Mt. Sima has been overwhelming.

"There's a lot of buzz around town about the new chairlift and it's amazing,” he said.

That response includes fundraising efforts like the Save Our Sima (S.O.S.) project – led by students from F.H. Collins, Porter Creek and Vanier secondary school.

Bruce Thomson, F.H. Collins Vice-Principal, said the students fund raising efforts have brought in around $150 dollars from the sale of shirts.

Vanier and Porter Creek did not respond with their figures before deadline.

The downfalls of the previous lift are well noted but Parker says that visitors to Mt. Sima will no longer have to worry.

"There was lots of reliability problems with the old lift and this will be totally reliable,” he said.

Parker also noted that new lift is under full warranty, saying "I think it's one year for everything and two years for the parts.”

"The whole community, and we are, obviously, very excited about this whole new development,” said Hougen.

"It's a real community asset and I'm just happy to see that is finally going to be up and running.”