By the end of August, Squamish residents will start to see the Sea to Sky Gondola rise from the valley floor.
The $25 million tramway's towers are scheduled to arrive from Europe in approximately three months, said Jayson Faulkner, general manager of Sea to Sky Gondola Corp. Currently, a helicopter is lifting materials to the various points along the gondola's route between the Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls. Foundations for the retail building and ticket booth have been poured, along with the gondola's base on a six-acre site beside the Sea to Sky Highway. The gondola is scheduled to open in May 2014.
We are on track for that, Faulkner said. We are feeling very good about our timing.
Construction has piqued people's interest in the project, he said, noting the gondola is already receiving inquiries about hosting weddings at the top station which includes a 200-plus-seat patio, suspension bridges, theatre and café. Construction on the top station will start in June, Faulkner said.
A narrow clearing running up the bluff below Mount Habrich was cut for the tram route. The gondola has an initial rise of 200 metres to the first tower, Faulkner noted.
Very quickly [people] will get a look over Squamish, he said, adding the gondola cabins are floor-to-ceiling glass.
Officials will start recruiting staff in earnest early next year. Senior management positions will be filled over the next few months, Faulkner said.
The theme of the gondola is adventure by nature, he said. As a result, gondola crews are busy improving and creating hiking trails. Down the road, Faulkner said he expects the facility will be able to accommodate bikes. The biking experience will be different from what's available in Whistler, he noted, as the terrain lends itself to cross-country rather than downhill riding.
Plans are to keep the gondola open year round, with a possible weekends-only schedule in the winter, Faulkner said.
Faulkner hopes the views of Squamish from the top station will encourage people to explore the town. It's exciting to see the vision become a reality, he said.
How many times in anyone's career do you get a chance to create something and then operate it? he said.
