Mt. Sima

Major Projects

Winter Map of Mount Sima trails and ski runs

Mt. Sima is more than just a local ski hill. Hosting national and international competitions, expanding our summer programming, and developing major projects to create a truly year-round sport tourism destination.

These projects are all interconnected and part of the strategic direction of Mt. Sima.

MT. SIma is a

Premier Sports Facility

Offering year-round programming for the local community and visitors to the territory.

Ensuring Sima has the capacity and infrastructure to continue hosting these events is crucial, not only economicall, but also to keep the community engaged, active, and excited about offerings on the hill.

Mt. Sima is working with Canada Snowboard to establish the hill as a national “Home Barn” training centre for Canadian snowboard athletes.

This long-term partnership will support national team preseason training while helping expand Mt. Sima’s facilities and infrastructure. The initiative strengthens the hill’s role in Canadian high-performance sport and creates unique opportunities for young Yukon athletes to train alongside some of the country’s best competitors.

A significant proportion of sport tourism at Mt. Sima comes from hosting competitions ranging from local tournaments to national and international championships.

A selection of these events include:

Arctic Winter Games,
FIS Mt. Sima World Cup
FIS Lost in Paradise Para Snowboard World Cup
FIS Mt. Sima Aurora Cup
Canada Winter Games

These events bring athletes from across the country and around the world to the Yukon, helping grow sport tourism, strengthen the local economy, and keep the hill active and connected to the community.

Mt. Sima operates at its heart as a community facility, offering Yukoners and visitors opportunities for active outdoor recreation year-round.

From ski and snowboard runs to mountain biking and other hill activities, the quality and longevity of Mt. Sima’s infrastructure supports thousands of participants each year. Continued improvements to the hill help ensure programs and operations can grow alongside the community.

As climate and tourism patterns shift, expanding summer activities at Mt. Sima is key to the hill’s long-term sustainability.

Developing summer recreation and tourism helps strengthen the local economy, supports staff recruitment and retention, and positions Mt. Sima as a year-round sport and recreation destination in the Yukon.

As Mt. Sima grows and adapts, sustainability remains a core priority to ensure long-term success.

This includes environmental stewardship, diversified programming and partnerships, and responsible management of the hill’s capacity. Together, these efforts support stable operations, strong staff retention, and a high-quality experience for everyone who visits the hill.

1 Year

Short Term Projects

Snowcross Relocation

Status: Complete

Mt. Sima has relocated its snowcross course to a more accessible and suitable area of the hill along the Pokey run.

Moving and widening the run has improved safety, streamlined course building, and created a better training and competition environment while maintaining space for regular green run use. This upgraded course now better supports athletes training at Mt. Sima, including teams from Canada Snowboard, the Canadian National Ski Cross team, and international athletes who train on the hill each season.

T-Bar Revival

Status: In Progress

Mt. Sima’s T-Bar was decommissioned in 2013 during a period of cost reductions, but changing weather patterns and increasingly windy conditions have shown the need for an additional lift option when the chairlift must close for safety.

Reactivating the T-Bar would allow Mt. Sima to continue operating the lower two-thirds of the hill during high winds, increase athlete capacity during preseason training by 50–60 athletes per day, and add valuable lane space during regular winter programming. The project would also support major events such as the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse in March 2026, while potentially contributing up to $120,000 in additional annual revenue for the hill.

Summer Offerings

Status: Ongoing

Mt. Sima has been steadily expanding its summer offerings, creating new recreation opportunities for locals, visitors, and sport tourism events.

From competition-level mountain bike trails and disc golf to the recently introduced glamping site, the hill is building on its existing infrastructure to welcome guests of all interests and activity levels. Mt. Sima is also becoming an increasingly popular summer event venue, hosting weddings and community gatherings while strengthening its role as a year-round destination. Expanding summer operations helps retain staff, improve overall hill operations, and diversify tourism opportunities for the Yukon.

1-5 Years

Mid Term Projects

Big Air Relocation

Status: In Progress

Mt. Sima’s current Big Air site hosts a 55-ft jump and the airbag training site used by the Yukon Freestyle Ski Association.

Its location limits the ability to expand jump features and restricts the final corner of Dan’s Descent. This project will relocate the Big Air site closer to the chairlift, widen the run, and allow for both a 55-ft and 70-ft jump. The upgrades will better support preseason training for teams using the hill, improve event hosting capabilities, and enhance safety and flow on Dan’s Descent for local skiers. The result will be more space, larger jumps, and stronger training and competition opportunities at Mt. Sima.

Night Lighting

Status: In Progress

Winter programming is limited by the Yukon’s short daylight hours, which often end around 4 p.m. through much of the season.

Installing lighting along the lower two-thirds of the hill, using existing T-Bar infrastructure, would extend operating hours beyond daylight, increasing capacity for preseason training teams, community programming, competitions, and special events.

Combined with the reactivation of the T-Bar, this project could add up to 200 hours of hill time each season and generate up to $500,000 in additional economic impact for the territory while supporting the long-term sustainability and growth of Mt. Sima.

Snow Storage Recovery

Status: Planning Phase

As climate change continues to impact ski hills across the country, Mt. Sima is exploring snow farming as a way to strengthen the reliability of its winter season.

The project would involve collecting snow at the end of the season, storing it in designated areas, and protecting it with specialized thermal coverings that can preserve up to 90% of stored snow for the following year.

This approach helps ensure consistent preseason training conditions, reduces the need for energy-intensive snowmaking, lowers utility costs, and supports the long-term environmental and operational sustainability of the hill.

Aerial Ropes Course

Status: Not Yet Started

Built in 2011, Mt. Sima’s aerial ropes course includes both adult and youth elements and remains in excellent condition despite being closed during a past period of cost reductions. As summer programming continues to grow, the hill plans to upgrade select safety and harness equipment and bring the course back into operation.

Reopening the aerial ropes course would strengthen Mt. Sima’s summer tourism offerings, help reestablish youth camps and community programming, and create an additional recreational attraction that generates new revenue for the hill.

Housing

Status: Ready to Start

Staff housing is a critical project for the future growth of Mt. Sima. As the hill expands its programming and year-round operations, recruiting and retaining skilled staff in the Yukon remains a significant challenge.

Mt. Sima plans to build 11 staff housing units on the north side of the overflow parking lot, helping remove a major barrier to hiring while strengthening preseason and year-round operations.

In addition to supporting staff capacity, the housing could also provide seasonal accommodation for summer tourism operators when rooms are available.

Athlete Lodge

Status: Initial Planning Phase

As Mt. Sima continues to grow in popularity, expanding lodge and facility space has become increasingly important. The hill plans to rebuild and upgrade the now-unusable old clubhouse adjacent to the main lodge, creating indoor training facilities, equipment changing and storage areas, and office space for local clubs and organizations that use the hill.

This redevelopment would improve Mt. Sima’s ability to host larger events without disrupting regular public operations, strengthen its role as a training and competition venue, and support the development of young Yukon athletes while expanding capacity for local sport organizations.

Deck Extension

Status: Ready to Start

Expanding the existing chalet deck is part of Mt. Sima’s plan to increase its capacity for hosting events as demand continues to grow, including major competitions such as the Arctic Winter Games.

The proposed expansion would increase the deck size significantly, creating a larger gathering space for receptions and spectators while providing an improved viewing area overlooking Dan’s Descent and the relocated snowcross course.

The project would require a full rebuild of the deck structure, improving safety while allowing more visitors and participants to comfortably use the space during events and regular hill operations.

5 to 10 years

Long Term Projects

Micro-Hydro Generation

Status: Planning Phase

Mt. Sima is exploring the long-term potential to generate hydroelectric power using the hill’s existing pump house infrastructure.

A feasibility study has identified an opportunity to produce electricity year-round, reducing reliance on the local power grid and potentially contributing excess power back to it.

While the project would require additional licensing and permitting depending on the scale of power generation, the site is already partially prepared through existing firebreak clearing.

If developed, this initiative would strengthen Mt. Sima’s long-term sustainability while supporting more resilient and self-sufficient hill operations.

These projects rely on the support of key national and territorial funding partners, including: