Will the Fraser Valley get its own version of the Sea to Sky Gondola?
Company is looking at building a gondola in the Bridal Falls area of Chilliwack below Mount Cheam
There's a reason why the trail that leads to the stunning peak of Mount Cheam isn't nearly as crowded as many other hikes around the Lower Mainland.
Paul Kubik says the views from the Fraser Valley peak are spectacular — but you have to put your vehicle through a terrible beating to get to the trailhead.
"It's basically a very rough road that comes up from the Chilliwack Valley that's full of potholes," said Kubik, cabins and trails development director for the B.C. Mountaineering Club.
"It takes a long time to drive up there, even if you've got a four-wheel-drive vehicle."
But in the future, there could be a new way to access the peak without making a long and treacherous drive: a gondola rising from the Fraser Valley, similar to the one that recently began operating above the Sea to Sky Highway near Squamish.
A company called Bridal Falls Gondola Corporation is now considering the project.
'Rigorous consultation' required
Fraser Valley Regional District Chair Jason Lum says it's not the first time a project like this has been proposed.
"We've seen these kind of projects come and go," he said. "Anything that would happen would have to go through rigorous consultation before we'd give a green light to it."
What makes this proposal different is the group behind it. Jayson Faulkner, who was a founding member of the Sea to Sky Gondola project near Squamish, is part of the team.
Kubik says many outdoor enthusiasts were skeptical of the Sea to Sky Gondola when it was first proposed, but most of them now look at it positively.
"[The operators have] invested in some trails, building up some of the existing roads and reconditioning them and making them nice hiking routes and even building some trails," Kubik said.
"That's worked out well for hikers, climbers and cross-country skiers."
'Great for everyone'
The company has applied to the province for a two-year licence to study the feasibility of the project.
"The primary focus of this investigative phase will be to conduct environmental, geotechnical and engineering studies," it stated in the application.
"Water, sewer, stormwater, hydro, natural gas propane and telephone communication systems will also be extensively evaluated."
If the company wants to proceed with the project once the studies are completed, it will have to submit a new application that provides more details.
"It would be great for everyone," said Shayna Muzychka, who spoke to CBC during a hike to the base of Bridal Falls.
"If you're tired or if you're wearing sandals, you wouldn't have to walk up the mountain."
Troy McGhie, another hiker in the area, wasn't sure about the idea.
"The only thing I'd worry about is it wrecking the natural area of how everything looked," he said. "I think it would take away from it."
The province is accepting public feedback on the project until Oct. 5.