Sea to Sky Gondola Set to Open May 16

A bad knee is keeping Christine Eckersley from hiking up the Stawamus Chief, so the Squamish resident is looking forward to checking out the Sea to Sky Gondola when it opens May 16.

"I had a knee replacement so I'm keenly looking forward to the opening of the gondola," said Eckersley from her downtown Squamish office.

"I think I could hike up the Chief," she said. "But, I'm worried I wouldn't be able to hike back down."

The gondola is between Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief so the view from the lodge at the summit is very similar to the views Eckersley could enjoy if her knee allowed her to reach the top of the Chief.

For gondola general manager, Jayson Faulkner, the May opening day has been three years in the making.

"It's the first day of the rest of our lives," said Faulkner. "We're excited about it."

A long list of local politicians, Squamish Nation leaders, provincial government officials and business leaders have all been invited to a grand opening event at 10 a.m. on May 16. An opening ceremony is planned, then the invited guests will take the 885-metre gondola ride up to the lodge at the summit, where a panoramic view awaits...

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Story by John French