A new ski resort or scenic gondola could be on the way in Chilliwack, British Columbia. For years, multiple developers have pondered what to do with the Bridal Veil area, where the area surrounding the waterfall has the potential to be a major tourist hub. The Vancouver Sun reports that after the Ministry of Forests discusses the plans with the local governments and the native tribes, the British Columbian provincial government will decide what project proceeds.
The first proposal, named the Cascade Skyline Gondola, has the support of the local Cheam First Nation tribe. The Gondola would be a collaboration between the tribes and Jayson Faulkner, the Co-Founder of the Sea to Sky Gondola in British Columbia. Faulkner says the project would “protect, restore and enhance” the area around Bridal Veil, including protecting the areas of cultural and religious significance for the Cheam First Nation. The project has been garnering local support and provincial approval for around five years. Their plans also include hiking and snowshoeing trails.
“So it was really surprising when out of the blue there was another proposal and we were forced into an ad hoc process with a project that hasn’t done any of that — a proposal that’s little more than a flashy brochure.”
The second proposal, Bridal Veil Mountain Resort, plans to develop the mountains into a major, year-round ski resort destination. This plan is much more ambitious and involves building two ski villages, trails, chairlifts, gondolas, paved roads, and pursuing water rights for snowmaking. These plans are much further back than the gondola proposal. It was originally proposed around 2010, but the original developers backed out after the funds weren’t there. This proposal does NOT have the support of the local native tribes though, as it would require much more average than a scenic gondola system would, and doesn’t cover how they protect the cultural significance of the lands to the Cheam Tribe. Videos describing the ski resort project are below:
What project do you think would be best for the Bridal Veil region?
Image Credits: Bridal Veil Mountain Resort, Cascade Skyline Gondola
