Mount Sima ski hill set to open three weeks early

The snowy weather in Whitehorse thisweek has some skiers and snowboarders alreadylooking forward to a new season and they don't have long to wait.

A new snow-making machine at Mount Simahas allowed officials to open the ski hill three weeks earlier than last year.

It's is scheduled to open for the season on Dec.5,just over a month away.

Cindy Chandler, general manager for the ski hill, says workers are already making snow thanks to the new equipment.

People at the open house on Saturday tried out the new snow on the bunny hill.

"With the upgrade that we've made, we've been able to blow a lot of snow on our bunny hill," Chandler said.

An uphill battle

It hasn't always been good news forMount Sima.

Last June, theGreat Northern Ski Society said it couldn'tcontinue to fund the ski hill.

At the time, the non-profit society wanted the City of Whitehorse to bail it out for $400,000, but council members ended up voting unanimously against thatbusiness plan.

It looked like the ski hill was going to close for good that summer, until a group called Friends of Mount Sima managed to raise $200,000 to help save the ski hill.

At the open house yesterday, there was also a job fair.

The ski hill is now hiring to fill positions for the winter, such as ski instructors and guest service agents.