The Vancouver Sun is reporting that "RCMP said Saturday they believe someone may have intentionally cut a cable on the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish after gondolas crashed to the ground early in the morning, causing significant damage. No one was injured. RCMP say they are still assessing the damage but the early signs point to the cable being cut. Squamish RCMP Const. Ashley MacKay said authorities are inspecting the full length of the cable. The busy attraction was scheduled to open at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, but the company says that it will remain closed for the foreseeable future." WTF?
Sabotage? Who would do that? Why? How? Every crime has a means and motive. We go there all the time. The place is awesome. My daughter just showed me a picture on her phone from a friend of hers who was up there recently. The place was packed. More people up there than I have ever seen. I thought it must have been a concert or something.
CBC is reporting that "RCMP say they believe someone deliberately cut the cable of the Sea to Sky gondola located along Highway 99 in Squamish, B.C., felling the two-kilometre cable route early Saturday morning. Almost all of the 30 gondola cars attached to the cable crashed to the ground around 4 a.m. on Saturday. The gondola wasn't operating at the time."
4:00 AM the cable broke or was cut with no one on it. That is very strange.
Not everyone was happy about the gondola/cable car. it may offer lovely views, but there were others who objected. those objections were over ridden and the thing was built.
ReplyDeleteIt is vandalism, but whomever cut the cable may not view it as such. It really doesn't surprise me, that it was done.
There are better ways to demonstrate ones' objections to things such as this. Some one could have been killed, and that is never a good thing.
Who on earth was opposed to it? It doesn't interfere with the hike on the Chief at all. It is completely separate from it. Many hikers hike up and ride down just like on Grouse.
DeleteThere's always one person who winds up being the excuse for why the rest of us can't have cool stuff.....
ReplyDeleteThe gondola wasn't considered "cool" by many. This gondola wasn't built to make things better for anyone in this province. It was built to make a profit for a corporation, using public assets. Now some one has cut into that profit.
ReplyDeleteIf you check with the CBC 15 Oct. 2013 article, they write about the opposition. Also the Wilderness committee. This was not with out controversy, there were over a 100 public meetings regarding the gondola. Some complained those meetings were developer driven and people didn't really get to have input.
Many were opposed to this, as was I, because it went through public lands, i.e. Province Park lands. Of course it was the B.C. Lieberals who approved it and we know how that would have worked, in my opinion. IF we permit corporations to make profits off of our Provincial Parks, where will it leave the tax paying citizen, who paid for these parks.
Back in the 1980s the Provincial Parks were privitized. Up keep has not been the same. Then the "reservations" system was brought in and who benefits most, the agencies who reserve in bulk for foreign tourists. There are Provincial park campsites which we just can't get into in the summer any more. Some are 100% reservation only. who makes the money off of that, while our tax dollars created the parks.
How many of these gondolas do you want in this province. It cost $22M to build and they've made a tidy profit since and will continue to do so. the "blending" of what is private and what is public is going to be blured in the future and it won't be to benefit of tax paying citizens.
People used to climb in this area, so who is now permitted to climb around the gondola? Will they ban climbing around the gondola now to "protect" it. Some think these gondolas are ugly and a blight on the landscape. They were built for lazy tourists who can't climb. Now some may argue it allows people to get up there who can't do the climb. Well at whose expense?
The cutting of the cable is was most likely a protest, a warning not to build more. Wouldn't be surprised if more of the gondolas were in the pipeline already. Some may argue it brought money into squamish, but what about the unaffordability of living in the area now? Its not a like tourist orientated jobs pay a lot. Who plays in these areas? is this for foreign tourists or the home grown crowd? Most likely touritst because foreign buyers have made housing so expensive in B.C. most people are having a hard time keep their roofs over their heads. B.C. does have the highest consumer debt in the country.
The Sea to Sky gondola does not harm the environment. It helps people appreciate the environment. Those nut bars are deranged.
DeleteDennis, that sootpid gondola only gets fat f&^%*s up to see a view they are too unhealthy to be able to see under their own power.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who appreciates the environment will walk and NOT need a piece of crap lift :-)
That is deranged. Totally. You need to spend some time with Dr Phil. I love the environment and I love that gondola. Now I can go on hikes all the way to Sky Pilot. Before I couldn't. The gondola on Grouse has been around for years. Are you saying that all skiers hate the environment?
DeleteThis is not an environmentalist talking it is a Communist. Someone who has agenda and has a bone to pick with anyone who makes a profit. Protecting the environment has nothing to do with it.
DeleteIf someone makes a profit, then they pay taxes. Those taxes build schools and hospitals. Without profit, there are no taxes paid. Without taxes paid there are no social programs. Give your head a shake.
The elderly and the disabled have a right to see that wonderful view and you have no right to say they don't. Whoever cut the cable needs to be put in jail until they pay back the cost and damages of their vandalism.