The journey to rebuild will come to an end six months and four days after a criminal act of vandalism on August 10, 2019 forced the closure. In the coming weeks, thirty new cabins will be installed on the new main haul rope that arrived from Switzerland at the end of October.
The reopening comes just in time for Family Day Long Weekend with the gondola welcoming guests back with 50% off lift tickets all weekend long in celebration of the love and support they received from their community during the closure.
“We are opening earlier than anticipated and the task has been huge. Our industry partners were there every step of the way, from assisting in the clean-up and assessing needs to delivering major components with absolutely no notice. Our amazing team rose to the challenge and have done everything required to get us back up and running as quickly as possible so we can get back to connecting people with nature and the beauty of Squamish,” says Kirby Brown, Sea to Sky Gondola General Manager. “We are so excited that on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020, we get to carry our passholders and guests back up the mountain on a brand-new cable, in brand-new cabins. Our community stood by the gondola and showed us overwhelming support, confidence, and love through the last six months, and for that, we are so grateful.”
The final pieces of the rebuild are coming together and the final safety inspections and certification by Technical Safety BC is slated for the first week of February. Work that took place on the journey to rebuild the Sea to Sky Gondola includes the installation of a new 4.4km long main haul cable, assembly and installation of thirty new cabins, and the installation of a new state of the art security system.
“The fact that the main haul cable was completely severed was, and still is, shocking, and the investigation with the RCMP is ongoing. However, we want our guests to know they can travel to the summit on the Sea to Sky Gondola with complete confidence,” says Brown.
“Our protocols would never allow the line to run if there was any damage to the cable and the security measures installed since the incident will ensure the gondola is secure and protected from any other criminal activity.”
With a snowy winter wonderland waiting at the summit and 50% off lift tickets for the entire Family Day Long Weekend, the Sea to Sky Gondola looks forward to showing the love to the community that showed them such extraordinary support during the closure.
