Sea to Sky Gondola on track to re-open next spring
Posted September 13, 2019 2:00 pm.
Last Updated September 13, 2019 2:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The beloved Sea to Sky Gondola is on track to be up and running in the spring, staff say, as they repair the extensive damage done by vandals this summer.
The gondola operators don’t want to get the public’s hopes up, but there is a possibility the attraction could re-open ahead of next year’s goal. A new haul rope is currently being manufactured in Switzerland to replace the 15 mm cable that was destroyed last month.
Vandals made it up a tower in the middle of the night and cut the cable, sending 20 of the 30 gondola cars crashing to the ground. The damage was excessive, forcing the lift to close and prompting an RCMP investigation.
RELATED: Sea to Sky Gondola closed until spring 2020 after cable cut
Kirby Brown, the general manager of the gondola, says the timeline to re-open looks good.
“I’d say we’re just being a bit conservative with the early spring date, but that’s looking better and better as we begin to see these major pieces being manufactured and prepped for shipping,” he says. “Then that will get shipped from Switzerland, probably to the Port of Rotterdam, shipped across the Atlantic, arrive in Halifax, and then get trucked or trained over here.”
But new gondola cabins still have to be manufactured and won’t be arriving in Squamish until next year.
“We’ll hold fast to that early spring offering of re-opening,” Brown says. “We’re going to work as hard as we possibly can. Most of that is simply dictated by the length of time it takes to manufacture cabins and rope and get it from Europe.”
RELATED: Gondola fallout: Business community concerned about economic impact from collapse
About half the attraction’s staff were laid off because of the closure, but Brown says most managed to find other jobs in Squamish for the summer.
Meanwhile, the retail and coffee shops are open and operational, and the current staff are working on a few upcoming events.
“We’ve got some nice plans for Halloween and Christmas and some other surprises that we’re going to roll out for passholders down here at the base,” Brown says.
The initial shock of the crime has worn off, he adds, and while police have no updates yet, he’s impressed with the resources the RCMP has committed to the investigation.
