Mount Sima is rolling ahead with two major projects aimed at retaining regulars and attracting newcomers.

Construction of the Doppelmayr quad chairlift and the WildPlay Elements Park is on schedule, according to Craig Hougen, president of the Great Northern Ski Society (GNSS).

The base of Mt. Sima was a beehive of activity yesterday, when Hougen, WildPlay CEO Tom Benson and deputy mayor Florence Roberts were on hand updating media on the progress of the two projects.

"We're on time, we're on budget,” Hougen said. "If anything, we're slightly ahead of schedule.

"We've had a big construction season at Sima, and you can see the results of this significant work that's been undertaken.”

The $3-million dollar chairlift is scheduled to be operational by Dec. 1, in time for the 2011-2012 season – and the 2012 Arctic Winter Games held in Whitehorse in March.

City council announced last summer it would contribute $1.6 million to the $1.1 million the GNSS lined up through funding arrangements and the $300,000 it hopes to generating through fund-raising efforts, including corporate donations.

"We're in a really good position to have a good year,” Hougen said. "Of course, we can't control the weather.

Doppelmayr Lifts Limited has allowed Mount Sima until April 1 to put all $3 million together.

"We're going to have an absolutely reliable chair that's going to be fast, easy to get on, and just a delight to ski,” Hougen said.

The quad chairlift will run slightly realigned from the previous chairlift to bypass the swamp partway up the hill.

The lift will feature a "magic carpet,” Hougen explained. The carpet will resemble a moving sidewalk. Skiers and snowboarders will get lined up on the belt to move half the speed of the chair, making it easier to board the lift.

The feature will be especially friendly to newcomers to downhill sports, Hougen said.

"This is a facility for all Yukoners, and we're trying to make it as accessible as possible.”

On Dec. 4, the earliest ever opening day for Mt. Sima, a circuit board problem forced the first chairlift evacuation in its 17-year history.

Mechanical problems continued through January and February.

Sima's chairlift woes prompted youth to act with their Save Our Sima (S.O.S.) campaign, led by secondary school students from F.H. Collins, Porter Creek and Vanier who brought their proposal to council.

"I'm very pleased with the progress out here,” Roberts said at the press conference yesterday. "I certainly hope we're going to have a wonderful facility come winter, let alone for the Arctic Winter Games. We're looking forward to this. We ran into a few snags here and there, but we're going to make this thing a go.”

And Benson is happy to see the chairlift construction moving so swiftly.

The new, reliable lift will tie in perfectly with the WildPlay Park, he said.

"The lift is a phenomenal addition. By having the lift, it completes part of the plan for us to get people onto the zip lines high up on the hill,” Benson said.

The parking lot at Mt. Sima was covered in the long wooden spars used to make the adventure park. The spars are designed to be tapered to take the maximum load-bearing capability, he explained.

"WildPlay is super excited to be part of this big project. It's going to be great to bring summertime adventure to the ski hill,” Benson said.

WildPlay will offer a Monkido course, based on the concept of monkey see, monkey do, Benson said.

Guests move at their own pace through a series of surprising and progressively challenging games, between six and 60 feet above ground, according to the WildPlay website.

Obstacles include tightropes, missing plank bridges, swinging logs, ziplines, cargo nets and tree ladders, among others.

Those combinations allow guests to test their limits, Benson said.

"We're about exposing people to something that changes them. It's not just a thrill ride. It's about them having to go through a process.”

Designed for ages 7 and older, the adventure park appeals to the entire family, he added.

"It's probably one of the only things that I've seen where the whole family gets out to really play together; it's not just parents saying, ‘We're going to come watch you play.'

"The whole family is out there engaged, because they're all equally focused on what's going on and what they're doing on the course,” Benson said.

Guests manage their own safety after being trained at the start of a continuous safety system.

"By having that, it changes the experience,” Benson said. "Folks really feel like they're empowered. One of the things that we're particularly finding with kids is we're not exposing them to enough healthy risk decision-making.

This is a great a place; you see the kids absolutely feeling empowered by the fact that they're managing their own risks.”