Recently I shared a story featuring a collection of historical photographs from Grouse Mountain. In that collection, there were photos depicting all seasons and a variety of activities. For this post, I have decided to focus solely on skiing at Grouse Mountain. I hope you enjoy this story as much as the last one.
It was 1926 when a group of Scandinavian loggers began creating the first ski trail on the mountain. To do this they had to remove many large trees that were in their way. This trail became known as The Cut. The Grouse Mountain Lodge was completed shortly afterwards, followed by numerous small ski cabins. By 1935 more than 100 of these shacks dotted the mountain landscape. In 1929 the Tyee Ski Club was formed and by the mid-1930’s Grouse had its first rope tow. Since then downhill skiing, and later snowboarding, has prospered on Grouse Mountain. The Tyee Ski Club is now one of the oldest in all of Canada.
Grouse Mountain holds the distinction of being the first in the world to install a double chairlift in 1949. This lift replaced a required two-to-three-hour hike from the bus stop near the mountain’s base and thrust Grouse Mountain into a leadership role within the skiing industry. Two years after the initial lift was installed the chairlift for The Cut was constructed meaning visitors and skiers were now able to reach the mountain in a two-stage trip. With the new lifts in place, the original Grouse Mountain Chalet began attracting international visitors who were attracted to the skiing, the dining, and the dancing, all happening on The Peak of Vancouver. Building on an already well-established history of skiing and ski clubs, the Snow School opened in 1965. Grouse is credited with building Canada’s largest snowmaking system at the time, which was completed in 1973.
From their humble beginnings, to hosting the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, to unveiling a brand new state of the art gondola this winter, Grouse has long been a leader in the winter sports industry and continues to be at the forefront even today.
The photos above were collected from the City of Vancouver Archives. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on their website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from Vancouver, British Columbia, and across Western Canada. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
