Hollyburn Lodge Restoration Project Timeline

HOLLYBURN LODGE RESTORATION PROJECT TIMELINE

22. On December 10, 2012, WV Council unanimously direct that up to $150,000 be included in the 2014 budget specifically for the restoration of Hollyburn Lodge.

21. September 14: On a beautiful September morning, West Vancouver Council members visit Hollyburn Ridge. WV Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Brent Leigh, Councillors Mary-Ann Booth, Nora Gambioli, Bill Soprovich, & Trish Panz are all smiles when they arrive at the cross-country parking lot. HHS' 'core group' - Gordon & Iola Knight, Bob & Greta Tapp & Don Grant - are there to greet them. Before the Lodge visit, Pete Compston (Cypress Mountain) puts in many long hours painting the exterior of the Lodge and trimming the vegetation around it. The interior of the lodge is warm & welcoming. After a 40-minute meeting inside the Lodge, tour participants walk to the Nasmyth Bridge to have a look at the new HHS photo display.

20. June 25: At a WV COUNCIL MEETING Councillor Nora Gambioli presents the following report:

RECOMMENDED THAT:
1. Council direct staff to proceed with the legal and administrative work to conclude the transfer of Hollyburn Lodge to the District and enable the District to become the commercial permittee for the land on which the Lodge sits.
2. Council direct staff to develop a fundraising strategy and report back regarding the resource and schedule implications to the District. (During a meeting on Monday, June 18, WV Mayor & Council unanimously passes this resolution.)

19. October, 2011: Since April, 2011, HHS has been meeting with District of West Vancouver Deputy-Chief Administrative Officer Brent Leigh to discuss the restoration of Hollyburn Lodge. At this point, we are optimistic that significant progress will be made during the coming months. Details to follow at the appropriate time.

18. November, 2010: HHS has heard that a fundraising campaign related to the restoration of Hollyburn Ski Lodge will begin sometime in 2011. (Even without a formal campaign underway, HHS has received about $16,000 in donations that are to be directed towards the restoration of the lodge. We also know that the West Vancouver Historical Society has set aside $10,000 for this project.) 

17. November 11, 2008: At the Pioneer Skiers Reunion at First Lake, Hollyburn Ridge on September 17th, West Vancouver Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones announced that an agreement had reached between DWV and Cypress resulting in the transfer of ownership of the lodge building from Cypress Mountain to DWV.

16. May 31, 2008: Cathy Matheson (District of West Vancouver), Linda Swain (Cypress Mountain), and Larry Syroishko (BC Parks) are writing a Lodge Usage Agreement that will be presented to CNL during their annual visit in August, 2008. (CNL owns all the ski facilities in Cypress Provincial Park including Hollyburn Lodge.)  

15. December 3, 2007: Lois Enns, Records Analyst/Information & Privacy Officer and Shaunna Moore, DWV Archivist, present the video "Hollyburn Lodge: Past, Present & Future" to Mayor Pam Goldsmith-Jones and Council for the District of West Vancouver Council. (The video may be viewed on the Home page of the District of West Vancouver web site: http://www.westvancouver.net/  )

14. November 26, 2007: The District of West Vancouver Council pass the following motion: 1. The District of West Vancouver Community Heritage Register be established, pursuant to Section 954 of the Local Government Act; and 2. The inclusion of Hollyburn Lodge in the District of West Vancouver Community Heritage Register be approved.

13. October 22, 2007: HHS Secretary-Treasurer Iola Knight has been working on application forms for funding from the federal and provincial governments.

12. August 28, 2007: Since the lodge restoration feasibility study was completed by Donald Luxton & Associates in September, 2006, considerable effort has been made by District of West Vancouver staff, Cypress Mountain staff, and the Hollyburn Heritage Society to move the project forward. Within the next couple of months, HHS hopes to report in more detail the progess made so far.

11. In January, 2007, after a year of deliberations involving a committee of Cypress Provincial Park stakeholders, BC Parks sets aside $100,000 (from an Olympic legacy fund of $400,000) for the restoration of Hollyburn Ski Lodge with the condition that all the additional funds needed for the completion of the project come from sources other than BC Parks, that an agreement regarding the future use of the lodge be worked out, and that the restoration project be completed in time for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver/Whistler.

10. In August, 2006, “Donald Luxton & Associates” begin their initial assessment of the lodge. In late September, they report that restoration of Hollyburn Ski Lodge is feasible and does not require the dismantling and reassembly of the building. Costs for the restoration of the lodge building are estimated to be $900,000 (in 2006 dollars). (Additional infrastructure including the installation of a reliable water supply, fire prevention sprinklers, and new, expanded washroom facilities in an adjacent building would add another $400,00 to $600,000 to the overall cost.)

9. The first task of the steering committee is to produce a ‘Request for Proposal’ document which sets out in detail the information that is required in the completed lodge restoration feasibility study. After ‘restoration’ proposals are received by three firms experienced in the assessment and restoration of heritage buildings, representatives from these firms are interviewed. “Donald Luxton & Associates” are selected to do the feasibility study.

8. A steering committee, chaired by Josie Chubak, Deputy Director, Parks & Community Services for the District of West Vancouver, is formed to create and implement a lodge restoration action plan.

7. Early in 2006, the District of West Vancouver announces that $20,000 has been approved for a lodge restoration feasibility study. (Funding for the feasibility study has come from a Cultural Capital grant awarded by the Federal Government.)

6. Aware of the growing interest in and support for the restoration of Hollyburn Ski Lodge, HHS recommends that a proper feasibility study be the first step. This study would determine, in part, the nature and extent of restoration.

5. About the same time the West Vancouver Arts and Culture Advisory Committee identifies the restoration of Hollyburn Ski Lodge as a significant and vital community heritage project. The West Vancouver Heritage Advisory Committee passes a motion supporting the project in principle. Strong support also comes from the West Vancouver Historical Society, North Shore Heritage Preservation Society, Friends of Cypress Provincial Park, and the Hollyburn Ridge Association.

4. After the 2010 Winter Olympics are awarded to Vancouver/Whistler and the decision is made to hold the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events on Black Mountain, the Mayor and Council for the District of West Vancouver direct that a 2010 Olympic/Paralympic Committee be formed to identify possible Olympic legacy projects. The restoration of Hollyburn Ski Lodge is one of ten Olympic legacy projects recommended by the committee.

  3. HHS concentrates its efforts on collecting, organizing and sharing the history of Vancouver’s North Shore mountains with a particular focus on Hollyburn. As a result, public awareness of the historical importance of Hollyburn Ski Lodge grows along with support for its restoration.

2. During the next several years the Hollyburn Heritage Society works hard to achieve this goal. On several occasions HHS meets with Cypress Bowl Recreations Ltd. staff to discuss the restoration project. Resolving jurisdictional issues involving CBRL, BC Parks, and the District of West Vancouver and the raising of funds needed for replicating/restoring the lodge prove to be major obstacles.

1. Hollyburn Heritage Society is formed in 1998. Its mandate includes saving Hollyburn Ski Lodge through replication (including the use of salvaged materials) or restoration.