Construction Underway on Blackcomb Showcase Chair

Construction is underway on the new Blackcomb Showcase Chair, a fixed-grip quad that will replace the aging Showcase T-Bar and improve access to the mountain’s high-alpine glacier terrain.

Whistler Blackcomb is preparing the remote lift corridor this summer, with the new chairlift expected to begin operating for the 2026–27 ski season.

The Showcase T-Bar has carried skiers and snowboarders toward the upper Horstman Glacier and Blackcomb Glacier terrain since 1988. However, the retreat of Horstman Glacier has made the surface lift increasingly difficult to maintain and operate.

Several T-bar towers were originally installed directly into the glacier ice. As the glacier receded and snow levels declined, sections of the lift track became steeper and more difficult for guests to navigate safely.

“This upgrade will make it easier and more enjoyable for guests to access the incredible terrain on Blackcomb Glacier,” Whistler Blackcomb vice-president and chief operating officer Belinda Trembath told Pique Newsmagazine in December.

Whistler Blackcomb said major excavation work has been completed, along with the upper terminal foundation and the foundations for the first lift towers.

Construction crews are continuing down the new lift alignment, with steel towers and terminal structures scheduled to be installed later this summer.

Helicopters are transporting equipment and building materials into the high-alpine construction site, while excavators and other heavy machinery prepare foundations among exposed rock and remaining snow.

“Protecting the glacier has been a priority from day one,” Whistler Blackcomb said in a construction update.

Unlike the Showcase T-Bar, the new chairlift’s towers and terminals are being anchored into exposed bedrock and nearby ice-free ground rather than directly into the glacier.

The revised alignment is intended to keep permanent lift infrastructure off the moving ice while continuing to provide access to the Showcase and Blackcomb Glacier areas.

The Blackcomb Showcase Chair will provide a simpler and more comfortable ride than the surface lift it replaces, particularly for snowboarders and less experienced guests who can find steep T-bar tracks challenging.

Whistler Blackcomb is also improving nearby trail connections, skier circulation and the entrance into the Blackcomb Glacier zone as part of the project.

The lift replacement comes as Horstman Glacier continues to shrink. A recent study found the glacier lost nearly three-quarters of its area between 1973 and 2024. Two of the existing Showcase T-Bar tower locations were still underlain by glacier ice.

The changing landscape has forced Whistler Blackcomb to reconsider how lifts and other permanent infrastructure are constructed in the high alpine.

When completed, the Blackcomb Showcase Chair will preserve lift-served access to one of Blackcomb Mountain’s signature alpine zones while adapting the lift system to the continuing retreat of Horstman Glacier.

The new chairlift is scheduled to open during the 2026–27 winter season.

Source: WB