Photo Credit: Nitehawk Adventure Park Facebook page.

By Shane Clausing

Pushing Forward

Nitehawk launches recovery fund to help replace broken chairlift

Aug 30, 2020 | 6:00 AM

Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park is moving forward after its chairlift was significantly damaged this past spring, following a landslide at the site.

The landslide occurred back in May and was powerful enough to move the chairlift towers down the hill, making the lift unstable to ride.

As a result of the damaged chairlift, Nitehawk was forced to close that side of the ski hill for the entire 2020-21 season. However, the rest of the hill will be open as usual for the winter season.

Johnathan Clarkson, the General Manager at Nitehawk says that plans are underway to find a way to replace the chairlift and have it up and running for the 2021-22 skiing season.

“Right now, we are working with a local geotechnical firm to develop a report and recommendation. One thing that we are going to be doing is a borehole program, where we are going to be drilling into the hill and drilling down about 100 feet and taking soil samples and groundwater measurements to determine if the slope in that area is stable.”

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If the soil samples and groundwater measurements are found to be unstable, Nitehawk would then have to either find a new location for the chairlift or scrap the chairlift all together and install a different style of lift, like a t-bar.

Regardless of what Nitehawk decides, the project will be costly. Clarkson adds that installing a new chairlift or t-bar lift would cost over $1 million.

With that, Nitehawk has launched what it calls a Landslide Recovery Fund.

So far, the Landslide Recovery Fund has operated two 50/50 draws.

The first 50/50 draw for the fund raised $5,000 and sold out in days. Clarkson says that he hopes the second draw will get to $20,000, with the winner taking home half of that amount.

Nitehawk has also teamed up with the Grande Sunset Theatre to host its comedy night. Money raised from the comedy night on September 26 will also go towards the fund.

While trying to raise potentially over $1 million is a tough task, Clarkson said that he and his team are up for the challenge and knows the community always comes to help.

“I think that would be a very cool story if the community was able to raise that kind of money, in support of our local non-profit ski area and adventure park.”

“The communities already shown their support (since the initial landslide). I’ve been in Grande Prairie for 32 years and I think the most amazing thing about our community is that even in hard times, this community never stops giving and Nitehawk has been the recipient of that in past years and I know that the community will be behind us.”

The Landslide Recovery Fund was also created in partnership with the Community Foundation of Grande Prairie. The partnership with the Community Foundation will allow Nitehawk to issue charitable receipts for those who make donations.

Clarkson mentioned that there are plans in the works for more fundraiser events in the coming months to help raise more money to get the chairlift side of the hill back up and running.

Those interested in helping donate can visit Nitehawk’s website.