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TIME TRAVELLER: Double chairlift replaces grueling hike to top of Grouse Mountain

This photo shows the lower terminal of Grouse Mountain chairlift circa 1956. Grouse Mountain’s double chairlift opened on Dec. 1, 1949. It was the first double chairlift in Greater Vancouver and the third in Canada.
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This photo shows the lower terminal of Grouse Mountain chairlift circa 1956.

Grouse Mountain’s double chairlift opened on Dec. 1, 1949. It was the first double chairlift in Greater Vancouver and the third in Canada.

Built in two sections, the following year the second leg opened which finally took skiers all the way to the top replacing a long hike from the skier’s bus stop at the base of the mountain.

It was as popular in the summer and the winter. A great excursion for out of town guests in the 1950s and ’60s, it was a 35-minute scenic ride to the chalet where you could dine and listen to the piano stylings of Hugo Sartorello.

For more information about the history of the North Shore and to learn about the new Museum of North Vancouver opening in 2021, visit nvma.ca and sign up for the museum’s e-newsletter at bit.ly/35MWr83.

Currently, the Archives of North Vancouver at 3203 Institute Rd. in Lynn Valley is open by appointment only. Contact: [email protected]