A $26 million redevelopment of the sightseeing gondola on Banff’s Sulphur Mountain is on schedule.
Brewster Travel Canada officials say warm weather this winter has allowed construction at the Banff Gondola to stay on schedule, with the gondola accessible to guests on May 1 followed by a grand opening on Aug. 1.
The company has also hired Darren Fung, an award-winning Canadian musical composer, to create a musical piece for the Above Banff theatre – an interactive theatre where people soar above the Rockies from the perspective of a bald eagle – without leaving their seats.
“To get this opportunity to create the musical score for the Above Banff theatre is an honour – and quite frankly, I’m really pleased that Brewster is investing to do it right,” said L.A.-based Fung, whose credits include the hockey theme for CTV and TSN.
“There’s so many opportunities to cut corners here or there, but they’re really investing in a great musical product. We’re going to have a lot of fun creating it at The Banff Centre and I’m just really excited to be on board.”
As part of the overall redevelopment, Brewster demolished the upper terminal to construct a new building, complete with new café and restaurants, a 48-seat interactive theatre, expanded rooftop viewing platform and new conference space.
Installation of the structure, including steel and concrete, are nearing completion. The building envelope will start shortly, including glazing, roofing and metal cladding wall finishes. Interior finishes are expected to start in early April.
The gondola attracts about 550,000 visitors a year.
