Do you remember the Goldie rope tow? Before chairlifts and other conveniences, the only mechanical way up a ski slope was the rope tow. The Goldie rope tow was notoriously hard on gloves and mitts and often intimidating for novice skiers to use, especially when someone wiped out in front of you.
This photo from the 1950s shows John Lachance and Lil Long demonstrating the proper form to master the rope tow.
Mount Seymour’s Goldie rope tow, originally installed in the 1950s, was the last remaining rope tow in the Lower Mainland until it was replaced by a magic carpet lift in 2011.
Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to plan your visit to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards.
Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver ,at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley, is open by appointment only. Contact: archives@monova.ca
Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.
