With thrill through the canyon forest

Canyon Ski Resort will soon be known for more than skiing and snow tubing, as Sunkid's new Mountain Coaster opened Aug. 8.

The new Canyon Coaster will catapult thrill-seeking riders through the canyon forest at speeds up to 40 mph, while anxious riders can take a more leisurely ride at a slower pace. Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer is the third customer in Western Canada to install a mountain coaster and offer this ride.

Unlike other Sunkid Mountain Coasters in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and British Columbia, the summer toboggan run in Red Deer is the only one where riders stay in their sled at the end while being pulled up by a drag lift. One of the reasons this customer chose Sunkid Mountain Coaster is also is the ride's minimal impact on the landscape in Red Deer.

"The unique thing about it is that you can control your own speed. You can go from zero to 40 mph," says David Martel, the resort's general manager. The Mountain Coaster's monorail system is nearly 1.4 kilometers long and is very close to the ground, so it offers unparalleled ride dynamics.

The Canyon Coaster was built on the old toboggan run and is accessible via the Upper Village extension at the top of the canyon near the Edgar Highspeed Tube Park, which operates during the winter months.

The vision for the resort had always been to make it a year-round operation, he said. The Mountain Coaster project had been in the works since 2020, when they focused on local activities and attractions after the COVID-19 outbreak.

The project shows visitors how natural-colored the area is when there is no snow on the ground. "In the winter, over 50,000 skiers come to visit us, and in the summer, the river valley looks completely different. We want people to experience the beauty of the canyon year-round. And once you've taken a Mountain Coaster ride, you'll want to come back in the winter." shared the general manager.

Photos: (c) Canyon Ski Resort