Mt. Sima will be open this summer.
This week, the Great Northern Ski Society announced it has reached a deal with WildPlay to have the British Columbia-based company run the summer adventure park at the ski hill. The park will open May 24.
While the society owns the equipment, WildPlay will also be hiring and training summer staff. Not everything at the park will be open, said Patti Balsillie, a director with the Great Northern Ski Society.
WildPlay proposed this option to the society, said Balsillie, who wouldn’t provide financial details about the agreement. The park opened last summer, but funding and construction delays meant it opened late. The park didn’t make as much money as originally planned, she said.
WildPlay knows this.
“They have come in because they believe in the product and the facility,” said Balsillie. “They know we’re in a place where we’re unable to operate.”
In March, the Great Northern Ski Society asked the city for emergency funding and to consider annual funding for the society. A two-day, closed-door summit will be held on May 16 and 23 with government officials and different groups to discuss finances.
“While we’re doing that, it would be a shame to have that infrastructure not be operating a really valuable and high-quality tourist product for Yukon visitors and Whitehorse and Yukon residents,” said Balsillie. “This is a beautiful bridge.”
Visitors can get more information about what will be offered this summer at www.wildplay.com.
The public can’t attend the Mt. Sima summit meetings. They can send comments to greatnorthernskisociety@gmail.com or fill out the form at www.mtsima.com/comments.
(Meagan Gillmore)
Man charged for break-and-enter
A 47-year-old Whitehorse man has been charged after a break-and-enter at Fountain Tire early Tuesday morning.
Police arrived on the scene after the security alarm went off. The window had been smashed, and the suspect was found inside. “It’s pretty cut-and-dried,” said Const. Christine Grant with the Whitehorse RCMP. The man smelled of alcohol, but it is not clear whether or not he was intoxicated, said Grant. No one else was at the scene, and it does not appear anything was stolen.
The suspect appeared in territorial court Tuesday afternoon. He faces a charge of breaking and entering and charges for violating court orders to keep the peace and not be under the influence of alcohol or controlled drugs outside his home.
(Meagan Gillmore)